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Spike  op  the  Temple  Watt-Poh 


TIIE 


ENGLISH  GOVERNESS 

AT 

THE  SIAMESE  COURT: 

BEING 

RECOLLECTIONS  OF  SIX  YEARS  IN  THE  ROYAL 
PALACE  AT  BANGKOK. 


BY 


ANNA  HARRIETTE  LEONOWENS. 


Mitlr  Illustrations 

FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  PRESENTED  TO  THE  AUTHOR  BY  THE 
KING  OF  SIAM. 


PHILADELPHIA: 


PORTER  ft  COATES, 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870, 
BY  FIELDS,  OSGOOD,  & CO., 
in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO 


MRS.  KATHERINE  S.  COBB. 

I hate  not  asked  your  leave,  dear  friend,  to  dedicate  to  you 
these  pages  of  my  experience  in  the  heart  of  an  Asiatic  court; 
but  I know  you  will  indulge  me  when  I tell  you  that  my  single 
object  in  inscribing  your  name  here  is  to  evince  my  grateful  appre- 
ciation of  the  kindness  that  led  you  to  urge  me  to  try  the  resources 
of  your  country  instead  of  returning  to  Siam,  and  to  plead  so  ten- 
derly in  behalf  of  my  children. 

I wish  the  offering  were  more  worthy  of  your  acceptance.  But 
to  associate  your  name  with  the  work  your  cordial  sympathy  has 
fostered,  and  thus  pleasantly  to  retrace  even  the  saddest  of  my 
recollections,  amid  the  happiness  that  now  surrounds  me,  — a hap- 
piness I owe  to  the  generous  friendship  of  noble-hearted  American 
women,  — is  indeed  a privilege  and  a compensation. 

I remain,  with  true  affection,  gratitude,  and  admiration, 

Your  friend, 


26th  July,  1870. 


A.  H.  L. 


PREFACE 


IS  Majesty,  Soradetch  P’hra  Paramendr  ]\Iaha 


Mongkut,  the  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  having  sent 
to  Singapore  for  an  English  lady  to  undertake  the  educa- 
tion of  his  children,  my  friends  pointed  to  me.  At  first 
it  was  with  much  reluctance  that  I consented  to  entertain 
the  project ; hut,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  more  I re- 
flected upon  it  the  more  feasible  it  appeared,  until  at 
length  I began  to  look  forward,  even  with  a glow  of  en- 
thusiasm,  toward  the  new  and  untried  field  I was  about 
to  enter. 

The  Siamese  Consul  at  Singapore,  Hon.  W.  Tan  Kim- 
Cliing,  had  written  strongly  in  my  favor  to  the  Court  of 
Siam,  and  in  response  I received  the  following  letter  from 
the  King  himself : — 


“ To  Mrs.  A.  H.  Leonowens  : — 

“ Madam  : We  are  in  good  pleasure,  and  satisfaction 
in  heart,  that  you  are  in  willingness  to  undertake  the 
education  of  our  beloved  royal  children.  And  we  hope 
that  in  doing  your  education  on  us  arid  on  our  children 


“ English  Era,  1862,  26th  February. 
Grand  Royal  Palace,  Bangkok. 


VI 


PREFACE. 


(whom  English  call  inhabitants  of  benighted  land)  you 
will  do  your  best  endeavor  for  knowledge  of  English 
language,  science,  and  literature,  and  not  for  conversion 
to  Christianity ; as  the  followers  of  Buddha  are  mostly 
aware  of  the  powerfulness  of  truth  and  virtue,  as  well  as 
the  followers  of  Christ,  and  are  desirous  to  have  facility 
of  English  language  and  literature,  more  than  new  religions. 

“ We  beg  to  invite  you  to  our  royal  palace  to  do  your 
best  endeavorment  upon  us  and  our  children.  We  shall 
expect  to  see  you  here  on  return  of  Siamese  steamer 
Chow  Phya. 

“ We  have  written  to  Mr.  William  Adamson,  and  to 
our  consul  at  Singapore,  to  authorize  to  do  best  arrange- 
ment for  you  and  ourselves. 

“ Believe  me 

“ Your  faithfully, 

(Signed)  “ S.  S.  P.  P.  Maha  Mongkut.” 

About  a week  before  our  departure  for  Bangkok,  the 
captain  and  mate  of  the  steamer  Rainbow  called  upon 
me.  One  of  these  gentlemen  had  for  several  years  served 
the  government  of  Siam,  and  they  came  to  warn  me  of 
the  trials  and  dangers  that  must  inevitably  attend  the  en- 
terprise in  which  I was  embarking.  Though  it  was  now 
too  late  to  deter  me  from  the  undertaking  by  any  argu- 
ments addressed  to  my  fears,  I can  nevertheless  never 
forget  the  generous  impulse  of  the  honest  seamen,  who 
said  : “ Madam,  be  advised  even  by  strangers,  who  have 


PREFACE. 


YU 


proved  what  sufferings  await  you,  and  shake  your  hands 
of  this  mad  undertaking.”  By  the  next  steamer  I sailed 
for  the  Court  of  Siam. 

In  the  following  pages  I have  tried  to  give  a full  and 
faithful  account  of  the  scenes  and  the  characters  that 
were  gradually  unfolded  to  me  as  I began  to  understand 
the  language,  and  by  all  other  means  to  attain  a clearer 
insight  into  the  secret  life  of  the  court.  I was  thank- 
ful to  find,  even  in  this  citadel  of  Buddhism,  men,  and 
above  all  women,  who  were  “ lovely  in  their  lives,”  who, 
amid  infinite  difficulties,  in  the  bosom  of  a most  cor- 
rupt society,  and  enslaved  to  a capricious  and  often  cruel 
will,  yet  devoted  themselves  to  an  earnest  search  after 
truth.  On  the  other  hand,  I have  to  confess  with  sorrow 
and  shame,  how  far  we,  with  all  our  boasted  enlighten- 
ment, fall  short,  in  true  nobility  and  piety,  of  some  of 
our  “ benighted  ” sisters  of  the  East.  With  many  of 
them,  Love,  Truth,  and  Wisdom  are  not  mere  synonyms 
but  “ living  gods,”  for  whom  they  long  with  lively  ardor, 
and,  when  found,  embrace  with  joy. 

Those  of  my  readers  who  may  find  themselves  interested 
in  the  wonderful  ruins  recently  discovered  in  Cambodia 
are  indebted  to  the  earlier  travellers,  M.  Henri  Mouhot, 
Dr.  A.  Bastian,  and  the  able  English  photographer.  James 
Thomson,  F.  B.  G.  S.  L.,  almost  as  much  as  to  myself. 

To  the  Hon.  George  William  Curtis  of  New  York, 
and  to  all  my  other  true  friends,  abroad  and  in  America, 
I feel  very  grateful. 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


And  finally,  I would  acknowledge  the  deep  obligation 
I am  under  to  Dr.  J.  W.  Palmer,  whose  literary  experi- 
ence and  skill  have  been  of  so  great  service  to  me  in  re- 
vising and  preparing  my  manuscript  for  the  press. 

. A.  H.  L. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

I.  On  the  Threshold . 1 

II.  A Siamese  Premier  at  Home  ....  14 

III.  A Sketch  of  Siamese  History  . ....  25 

IV.  His  Excellency’s  Harem  and  Helpmeet  . . 42 

Y.  The  Temples  of  the  Sleeping  and  the  Emerald 


Idols 49 

YI.  The  King  and  the  Governess  ....  54 

VII.  Marble  Halls  and  Fish-Stalls  ....  67 

VIII.  Our  Home  in  Bangkok 73 

IX.  Our  School  in  the  Palace 78 

X.  Moonshee  and  the  Angel  Gabriel  ...  88 

XI.  The  Ways  of  the  Palace. 93 

XII.  Shadows  and  Whispers  of  the  Harem  . . 102 

XIII.  Fa-ying,  the  King’s  Darling 116 

XIV.  An  Outrage  and  a Warning  . . . . 125 

XV.  The  City  of  Bangkok 129 

XVI.  The  White  Elephant 140 

XVII.  The  Ceremonies  of  Coronation  . . . . 146 

XVIII.  The  Queen  Consort 151 

XIX.  The  Heir-Apparent.  — Royal  Hair-cutting  . 154 

XX.  Amusements  of  the  Court 167 

XXI.  Siamese  Literature  and  Art  ....  175 


X 


CONTENTS. 


XXII.  Buddhist  Doctrine,  Priests,  and  Worship  . . 183 

XXIII.  Cremation 204 

XXIY.  Certain  Superstitions 217 

XXV.  The  Subordinate  King 222 

XXVI.  The  Supreme  King  : his  Character  and  Admin- 
istration   237 

XXVII.  My  Retirement  from  the  Palace  . . . 269 

XXVIII.  The  Kingdom  of  Siam 286 

XXIX.  The  Ruins  of  Cambodia. — An  Excursion  to  the 

Naghkon  Watt 300 

XXX.  The  Legend  of  the  Maha  Naghkon  . . , 314 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


I.  The  Supreme  Kino Frontispiece. 

II.  The  Prime  Minister  ......  Page  14 

III.  The  Temple  of  the  Sleeping  Idol  ....  49 

IV.  The  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple  ...  52 

V.  A Pupil  of  the  Royal  School 78 

VI.  Presentation  of  a Princess 102 

VII.  Gateway  of  the  Old  Palace 129 

VIII.  A War  Elephant 140 

IX.  The  Heir-Apparent 154 

X.  Siamese  Actor  and  Actress 176 

XI.  Spire  of  the  Temple  Watt-Poh  ....  180 

XII.  Priests  at  Breakfast 203 

XIII.  The  Princess  of  Ciiiengmai 223 

XIV.  A Royal  Barge 295 

XV.  Ruins  of  the  Naghkon  Watt.  (Double.)  . . . 306 

XVI.  Sculptures  of  the  Naghkon  Watt.  (Double.)  . 310 


THE  ENGLISH  GOVERNESS 

AT  THE  SIAMESE  COURT. 


I. 

ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 

MARCH  15,  1862. — On  board  the  small  Siamese 
steamer  Chow  Phya,  in  the  Gulf  of  Siam. 

I rose  before  the  sun,  and  ran  on  deck  to  catch  an 
early  glimpse  of  the  strange  land  we  were  nearing ; and 
as  I peered  eagerly,  not  through  mist  and  haze,  but 
straight  into  the  clear,  bright,  many-tinted  ether,  there 
came  the  first  faint,  tremulous  blush  of  dawn,  behind  her 
rosy  veil ; and  presently  the  welcome  face  shines  boldly 
out,  glad,  glorious,  beautiful,  and  aureoled  with  flaming 
lines  of  orange,  fringed  with  amber  and  gold,  wherefrom 
flossy  webs  of  color  float  wide  through  the  sky,  paling  as 
they  go.  A vision  of  comfort  and  gladness,  that  tropical 
March  morning,  genial  as  a July  dawn  in  my  own  less 
ardent  clime  ; but  the  memory  of  two  round,  tender  arms, 
and  two  little  dimpled  hands,  that  so  lately  had  made 
themselves  loving  fetters  round  my  neck,  in  the  vain 
hope  of  holding  mamma  fast,  blinded  my  outlook ; and 
as,  with  a nervous  tremor  and  a rude  jerk,  we  came  to 
anchor  there,  so  with  a shock  and  a tremor  I came  to  my 
hard  realities. 

The  captain  told  us  we  must  wait  for  the  afternoon 
tide  to  carry  us  over  the  bar.  I lingered  on  deck,  as 


2 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


long  as  I could  dodge  the  fiery  spears  that  flashed  through 
our  tattered  awning,  and  hear  the  hustle  and  the  boister- 
ous jests  of  some  circus  people,  our  fellow-passengers, 
who  came  by  express  invitation  of  the  king  to  astonish 
and  amuse  the  royal  household  and  the  court. 

Scarcely  less  intelligent,  and  certainly  more  entertain- 
ing, than  these  were  the  dogs  of  our  company,  — brutes 
of  diverse  temperament,  experience,  and  behavior.  There 
were  the  captain’s  two,  Trumpet  and  Jip,  who,  by  virtue 
of  their  reflected  rank  and  authority,  held  places  of  privi- 
lege and  pickings  under  the  table,  and  were  jealous  and 
overbearing  as  became  a captain’s  favorites,  snubbing  and 
bullying  their  more  accomplished  and  versatile  guests, 
the  circus  dogs,  with  skipper-like  growls  and  snarls  and 
snaps.  And  there  was  our  own  true  Bessy,  — a New- 
foundland, great  and  good,  — discreet,  reposeful,  dignified, 
fastidious,  not  to  be  cajoled  into  confidences  and  famili- 
arities with  strange  dogs,  whether  official  or  professional. 
Very  human  was  her  gentle  countenance,  and  very  loyal, 
I doubt  not,  her  sense  of  responsibility,  as  she  followed 
anxiously  my  boy  and  me,  interpreting  with  her  heart  the 
thoughts  she  read  in  our  faces,  and  responding  with  her 
sympathetic  eyes. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  we  dined  on  deck,  the  land  was 
plainly  visible ; and  now,  as  with  a favoring  tide  we 
glided  toward  the  beautiful  Meinam  (“  Mother  of  Waters”), 
the  air  grew  brighter,  and  the  picture  lived  and  moved ; 
trees  grew  on  the  banks,  more  and  more  verdure, 
monkeys  swung  from  bough  to  bough,  birds  flashed  and 
piped  among  the  thickets. 

Though  the  reddish-brown  water  over  the  “ banks  ” is 
very  shallow  at  low  tide,  craft  of  moderate  burden,  with 
the  aid  of  a pilot,  cast  anchor  commonly  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  capital,  in  from  ten  to  twelve  fathoms  of 
water 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


3 


The  world  has  few  rivers  so  deep,  commodious,  and 
safe  as  the  Meinam  ; and  when  we  arrived  the  authorities 
were  contemplating  the  erection  of  beacons  on  tire  bar, 
as  well  as  a lighthouse  for  the  benefit  of  vessels  enter- 
ing the  port  of  Bangkok.  The  stream  is  rich  in  fish  of 
excellent  quality  and  flavor,  such  as  is  found  in  most  of 
the  great  rivers  of  Asia ; and  is  especially  noted  for  its 
platoo,  a kind  of  sardine,  so  abundant  and  cheap  that  it 
forms  a common  seasoning  to  the  laborer’s  bowl  of  rice. 
The  Siamese  are  expert  in  modes  of  drying  and  salting 
fish  of  all  kinds,  and  large  quantities  are  exported  annu- 
ally to  Java,  Sumatra,  Malacca,  and  China. 

In  half  an  hour  from  the  time  when  the  twin  banks 
of  the  river,  in  their  raiment  of  bright  green,  seemed  to 
open  their  beautiful  arms  to  receive  us,  we  came  to  an- 
chor opposite  the  mean,  shabby,  irregular  town  of  Pak- 
nam,  or  Sumuttra  P’hra-kan  (“  Ocean  Affairs  ”).  Here  the 
captain  went  ashore  to  report  himself  to  the  Governor, 
and  the  officials  of  the  custom-house,  and  the  mail-boat 
came  out  to  us.  My  boy  became  impatient  for  coucnj 
(cake) ; Moonshee,  my  Persian  teacher,  and  Beebe,  my 
gay  Hindostanee  nurse,  expressed  their  disappointment 
and  disgust,  Moonshee  being  absurdly  dramatic  in  his 
wrath,  as,  fairly  shaking  his  fist  at  the  town,  he  de- 
manded, “ What  is  this  ? ” 

Near  this  place  are  two  islands.  The  one  on  the  right 
is  fortified,  yet  withal  so  green  and  pretty,  and  seemingly 
so  innocent  of  bellicose  designs,  that  one  may  fancy  Na- 
ture has  taken  peculiar  pains  to  heal  and  hide  the  dis- 
figurements grim  Art  has  made  in  her  beauty.  On  the 
other,  which  at  first  I took  for  a floating  shrine  of  white 
marble,  is  perhaps  the  most  unique  and  graceful  object  of 
architecture  in  Siam;  shining  like  a jewel  on  the  broad 
bosom  of  the  river,  a temple  all  of  purest  white,  its 
lofty  spire,  fantastic  and  gilded,  flashing  back  the  glory 


4 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


of  the  sun,  and  duplicated  in  shifting,  quivering  shadows 
in  the  limpid  waters  below.  Add  to  these  the  fitful  rip- 
ple of  the  coquettish  breeze,  the  burnished  blazonry  of 
the  surrounding  vegetation,  the  budding  charms  of  spring 
joined  to  the  sensuous  opulence  of  autumn,  and  you 
have  a scene  of  lovely  glamour  it  were  but  vain  imper- 
tinence to  describe.  Earth  seemed  to  have  gathered  for 
her  adorning  here  elements  more  intellectual,  poetic,  and 
inspiring  than  she  commonly  displays  to  pagan  eyes. 

These  islands  at  the  gateway  of  the  river  are,  like  the 
bank  in  the  gulf,  but  accumulations  of  the  sand  borne 
down  before  the  torrent,  that,  suddenly  swollen  by  the 
rains,  rushes  annually  to  the  sea.  The  one  on  which  the 
temple  stands  is  partly  artificial,  having  been  raised  from 
the  bed  of  the  Meinam  by  the  king  P’hra  Chow  Phra-sat- 
thong,  as  a work  of  “ merit.”  Visiting  this  island  some 
years  later,  I found  that  this  temple,  like  all  other  py- 
ramidal structures  in  this  part  of  the  world,  consists  of 
solid  masonry  of  brick  and  mortar.  The  bricks  made 
here  are  remarkable,  being  fully  eight  inches  long  and 
nearly  four  broad,  and  of  fine  grain,  — altogether  not  un- 
like the  “ tavellae  ” brick  of  the  Egyptians  and  ancient 
Eomans.  There  are  cornices  on  all  sides,  with  steps  to 
ascend  to  the  top,  where  a long  inscription  proclaims  the 
name,  rank,  and  virtues  of  the  founder,  with  dates  of 
the  commencement  of  the  island  and  the  shrine.  The 
whole  of  the  space,  extending  to  the  low  stone  breakwater 
that  surrounds  the  island,  is  paved  with  the  same  kind 
of  brick,  and  encloses,  in  addition  to  the  P’hra-Cha-dei 
(“  The  Lord’s  Delight  ”),  a smaller  temple  with  a brass 
image  of  the  sitting  Buddha.  It  also  affords  accommoda- 
tion to  the  numerous  retinue  of  princes,  nobles,  retainers, 
and  pages  who  attend  the  king  in  his  annual  visits  to  the 
temple,  to  worship,  and  make  votive  offerings  and  dona- 
tions to  the  priests. 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


5 


A charming  spot,  yet  not  one  to  he  contemplated  with 
unalloyed  pleasure  ; for  here  also  are  the  wretched  people, 
who  pass  up  and  down  in  boats,  averting  their  eyes,  press- 
ing their  hard,  labor-grimed  hands  against  their  sweating 
foreheads,  and  lowly  louting  in  blind  awe  to  these  whited 
bricks.  Even  the  naked  children  hush  and  crouch,  and 
lay  their  little  foreheads  against  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

His  Majesty  Somdetch  P’hra  Paramendr  Maha  Mong- 
kut,  the  late  Supreme  King,  contributed  interesting  souve- 
nirs to  the  enlargement  and  adornment  of  this  temple. 

The  town,  which  the  twin  islands  redeem  from  the 
ignominy  it  otherwise  deserves,  lies  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  river,  and  by  its  long  lines  of  low  ramparts  that  face 
the  water  seems  to  have  been  at  one  time  substantially 
fortified ; but  the  works  are  now  dilapidated  and  neg- 
lected. They  were  constructed  in  the  first  instance,  I am 
told,  with  fatal  ingenuity;  in  the  event  of  an  attack  the 
garrison  would  find  them  as  dangerous  to  abandon  as  to 
defend.  Paknam  is  indebted  for  its  importance  rather  to 
its  natural  position,  and  its  possibilities  of  improvement 
under  the  abler  hands  into  which  it  is  gradually  falling, 
than  to  any  advantage  or  promise  in  itself ; for  a more 
disgusting,  repulsive  place  is  scarcely  to  be  found  on 
Asian  ground. 

The  houses  are  built  partly  of  mud,  partly  of  wood, 
and,  as  in  those  of  Malacca,  only  the  upper  story  is  habit- 
able, the  ground  floor  being  the  abode  of  pigs,  dogs,  fowls, 
and  noisome  reptiles.  The  “ Government  House  ” was 
originally  of  stone,  but  all  the  more  recent  additions  have 
been  shabbily  constructed  of  rough  timber  and  mud. 
This  is  one  of  the  few  houses  in  Paknam  which  one  may 
enter  without  mounting  a ladder  or  a clumsy  staircase, 
and  which  have  rooms  in  the  lower  as  well  as  in  the  upper 
story. 

The  Custom-House  is  an  open  sala,  or  shed,  where 


6 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD.' 


interpreters,  inspectors,  and  tidewaiters  lounge  away  the 
day  on  cool  mats,  chewing  areca,  betel,  and  tobacco,  and 
extorting  moneys,  goods,  or  provisions  from  the  unhappy 
proprietors  of  native  trading  craft,  large  or  small ; but 
Europeans  are  protected  from  their  rascally  and  insolent 
exactions  by  the  intelligence  and  energy  of  their  respec- 
tive consuls. 

The  hotel  is  a whitewashed  brick  building,  originally 
designed  to  accommodate  foreign  ambassadors  and  other 
official  personages  visiting  the  Court  of  Siam.  The  king’s 
summer-house,  fronting  the  islands,  is  the  largest  edifice 
to  be  seen,  but  it  has  neither  dignity  nor  beauty.  A 
number  of  inferior  temples  and  monasteries  occupy  the 
background,  and  are  crowded  with  a rabble  of  priests,  in 
yellow  robes  and  with  shaven  pates ; packs  of  mangy 
pariah-dogs  attend  them.  These  monasteries  consist  of 
many  small  rooms  or  cells,  containing  merely  a mat  and 
wooden  pillow  for  each  occupant.  The  refuse  of  the  food, 
which  the  priests  beg  during  the  day,  is  cast  to  the  dogs 
at  night ; and  what  they  refuse  is  left  to  putrefy.  Un- 
imaginable are  the  stenches  the  sun  of  Siam  engenders 
in  such  conditions. 

A village  so  happily  situated  might,  under  better  man- 
agement, become  a thriving  and  pleasing  port ; but  neg- 
lect, cupidity,  and  misrule  have  shockingly  deformed  and 
degraded  it.  Nevertheless,  by  its  picturesque  site  and 
surroundings  of  beauty,  it  retains  its  hold  upon  the  regret- 
ful admiration  of  many  Europeans  and  Americans,  who 
in  ill  health  have  found  strength  and  cheer  in  its  sea- 
breezes. 

We  heartily  enjoyed  the  delightful  freshness  of  the 
evening  air  as  we  glided  up  the  Meinam,  though  the  river 
view,  at  this  point  is  somewhat  marred  by  the  wooden  piers 
and  quays  that  line  it  on  either  side,  and  the  floating 
houses,  representing  elongated  As.  From  the  deck,  at  a 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


7 


convenient  height  above  the  level  of  the  river  and  the  nar- 
row serpentine  canals  and  creeks,  we  looked  down  upon 
conical  roofs  thatched  with  attaps,  and  diversified  by  the 
pyramids  and  spires  and  fantastic  turrets  of  the  more  im- 
portant buildings.  The  valley  of  the  Meinam,  not  over  six 
hundred  miles  in  length,  is  as  a long  deep  dent  or  fissure 
in  the  alluvial  soil.  At  its  southern  extremity  we  have 
the  climate  and  vegetation  of  the  tropics,  while  its  north- 
ern end,  on  the  brow  of  the  Yunan,  is  a region  of  per- 
petual snow.  The  surrounding  country  is  remarkable  for 
the  bountiful  productiveness  of  its  unctuous  loam.  The 
scenery,  though  not  wild  nor  grand,  is  very  picturesque 
and  charming  in  the  peculiar  golden  haze  of  its  atmos- 
phere. I surveyed  with  more  and  more  admiration  each 
new  scene  of  blended  luxuriance  and  beauty,  — planta- 
tions spreading  on  either  hand  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  and  level  fields  of  living  green,  billowy  with  crops 
of  rice  and  maize,  and  sugar-cane  and  coffee,  and  cotton 
and  tobacco  ; and  the  wide  irregular  river,  a kaleidoscope 
of  evanescent  form  and  color,  where  land,  water,  and  sky 
joined  or  parted  in  a thousand  charming  surprises  of 
shapes  and  shadow's. 

The  sun  was  already  sinking  in  the  west,  when  we 
caught  sight  of  a tall  roof  of  familiar  European  fashion ; 
and  presently  a lowly  white  chapel  with  green  windows, 
freshly  painted,  peeped  out  beside  two  pleasant  dwell- 
ings. Chapel  and  homes  belong  to  the  American  Presbyte- 
rian Mission.  A forest  of  graceful  boughs  filled  the  back- 
ground ; the  last  faint  rays  of  the  departing  sun  fell  on 
the  Mission  pathway,  and  the  gentle  swaying  of  the  tall 
trees  over  the  chapel  imparted  a promise  of  safety  and 
peace,  as  the  glamour  of  the  approaching  night  and  the 
gloom  and  mystery  of  the  pagan  land  into  which  we  were 
penetrating  filled  me  with  an  indefinable  dread.  I almost 
trembled,  as  the  unfriendly  clouds  drove  out  the  lingering 


8 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


tints  of  day.  Here  were  the  strange  floating  city,  with 
its  stranger  people  on  all  the  open  porches,  quays,  and 
jetties ; the  innumerable  rafts  and  boats,  canoes  and  gon- 
dolas, junks,  .and  ships ; the  pall  of  black  smoke  from 
the  steamer,  the  burly  roar  of  the  engine,  and  the  murmur 
and  the  jar;  the  bewildering  cries  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  the  shouting  of  the  Chinamen,  and  the  barking 
of  the  dogs,  — yet  no  one  seemed  troubled  but  me.  I 
knew  it  was  wisest  to  hide  my  fears.  It  M as  the  old 
story.  How  many  of  our  sisters,  how  many  of  our  daugh- 
ters, how  many  of  our  hearts’  darlings,  are  thus,  without 
friend  or  guide  or  guard  or  asylum,  turning  into  untried 
paths  with  untold  stories  of  trouble  and  pain ! 

We  dropped  anchor  in  deep  Mrater  near  an  island.  In 
a moment  the  river  was  alive  with  nondescript  craft, 
worked  by  amphibious  creatures,  half  naked,  swarthy,  and 
grim,  who  rent  the  air  with  shrill,  wild  jargon  as  they 
scrambled  toward  us.  In  the  distance  were  several  hulks 
of  Siamese  men-of-war,  seemingly  as  old  as  the  flood ; 
and  on  the  right  towered,  tier  over  tier,  the  broad  roofs  of 
the  grand  Koyal  Palace  of  Bangkok,  — my  future  “ home  ” 
and  the  scene  of  my  future  labors. 

The  circus  people  are  preparing  to  land ; and  the  dogs, 
running  to  and  fro  with  anxious  glances,  have  an  air  of 
leave-taking  also.  How  the  China  coolies,  with  pigtails 
braided  and  coiled  round  their  low,  receding  brows,  begin 
their  uncouth  bustle,  and  into  the  small  hours  of  the 
morning  enliven  the  time  of  waiting  with  frantic  shouts 
and  gestures. 

Before  long  a showy  gondola,  fashioned  like  a dragon, 
with  flashing  torches  and  many  paddles,  approached ; 
and  a Siamese  official  mounted  the  side,  swaying  himself 
with  an  absolute  air.  The  red  langoutcc,  or  skirt,  loosely 
folded  about  his  person,  did  not  reach  his  ankles ; and 
to  cover  his  audacious  chest  and  shoulders  he  had  only 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


9 


liis  own  brown  polished  skin.  He  was  followed  by  a 
dozen  attendants,  who,  the  moment  they  stepped  from 
the  gangway,  sprawled  on  the  deck  like  huge  toads, 
doubling  their  arms  and  legs  under  them,  and  pressing 
their  noses  against  the  boards,  as  if  intent  on  making 
themselves  small  by  degrees  and  hideously  less.  Every 
Asiatic  on  deck,  coolies  and  all,  prostrates  himself,  ex- 
cept my  two  servants,  who  are  bewildered.  Moonshee 
covertly  mumbles  his  five  prayers,  ejaculating  between, 
Mash- Allah  ! A Tala-yca  hia  hai?*  and  Beebe  shrinks, 
and  draws  her  veil  of  spotted  muslin  jealously  over  her 
charms. 

The  captain  stepped  forward  and  introduced  us.  “ His 
Excellency  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse,  Prime  Minister 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Siam ! ” 

Half  naked  as  he  was,  and  without  an  emblem  to  de- 
note his  rank,  there  was  yet  something  remarkable  about 
this  native  chief,  by  virtue  of  which  he  compelled  our 
respect  from  the  first  glance,  — a sensibly  magnetic  qual- 
ity of  tone  or  look.  With  an  air  of  command  oddly  at 
variance  with  his  almost  indecent  attire,  of  which  he 
seemed  superbly  unconscious,  he  beckoned  to  a young  at- 
tendant, who  crawled  to  him  as  a dog  crawls  to  an  angry 
master.  This  was  an  interpreter,  who  at  a word  from  his 
lord  began  to  question  me  in  English. 

“Are  you  the  lady  who  is  to  teach  in  the  royal 
family  ? ” 

On  my  replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  asked,  “ Have 
you  friends  in  Bangkok  ? ” 

Finding  I had  none,  he  was  silent  for  a minute  or  two  ; 
then  demanded : “ What  will  you  do  ? Where  will  you 
sleep  to-night  ? ” 

“ Indeed  I cannot  tell,”  I said.  “ I am  a stranger  here. 
But  I understood  from  his  Majesty’s  letter  that  a resi- 

* “Great  God  ! what  is  this  ?” 

1* 


10 


ON  TIIE  THRESHOLD. 


dence  would  be  provided  for  us  on  our  arrival ; and  he 
has  been  duly  informed  that  we  were  to  arrive  at  this 
time.” 

“ His  Majesty  cannot  remember  everything/’  said  his 
Excellency ; the  interpreter  added,  “ You  can  go  where 
you  like.”  And  away  went  master  and  slaves.  I Avas 
dumfoundered,  without  even  voice  to  inquire  if  there 
was  a hotel  in  the  city ; and  my  servants  were  scornfully 
mute.  My  kind  friend  the  captain  was  sorely  puzzled. 
He  would  have  sheltered  us  if  he  could ; but  a cloud  of 
coal-dust  and  the  stamping  and  screaming  of  a hundred 
and  fifty  Chinamen  made  hospitality  impracticable;  so 
I made  a little  bed  for  my  child  on  deck,  and  prepared  to 
pass  the  night  with  him  under  a canopy  of  stars. 

The  situation  was  as  Oriental  as  the  scene,  — heartless 
arbitrary  insolence  on  the  part  of  my  employers  ; home- 
lessness, forlornness,  helplessness,  mortification,  indigna- 
tion, on  mine.  Fears  and  misgivings  crowded  and  stunned 
me.  My  tears  fell  thick  and  fast,  and,  weary  and  despair- 
ing, I closed  my  eyes,  and  tried  to  shut  out  heaven  and 
earth ; but  the  reflection  would  return  to  mock  and  goad 
me,  that  by  my  own  act,  and  against  the  advice  of  my 
friends,  I had  placed  myself  in  this  position. 

The  good  captain  of  the  Chow  Phya,  much  troubled 
by  the  conduct  of  the  minister,  paced  the  deck  (which  usu- 
ally, on  these  occasions,  he  left  to  the  supercargo)  for  more 
than  an  hour.  Presently  a boat  approached,  and  he  hailed 
it.  In  a moment  it  was  at  the  gangway,  and  with  robust, 

hearty  greetings  on  both  sides,  Captain  B , a cheery 

Englishman,  with  a round,  ruddy,  rousing  face,  sprang  on 
board ; in  a few  words  our  predicament  was  explained  to 
him,  and  at  once  he  invited  us  to  share  his  house,  for  the 
night  at  least,  assuring  us  of  a cordial  welcome  from  his 
wife.  In  the  beautiful  gondola  of  our  “ friend  in  need  ” 
we  were  pulled  by  four  men,  standing  to  their  oars. 


ON  TIIE  THRESHOLD. 


11 


through  a dream-like  scene,  peculiar  to  this  Venice  of  the 
East.  Larger  boats,  in  an  endless  variety  of  form  and 
adornment,  with  prows  high,  tapering,  and  elaborately 
carved,  and  pretty  little  gondolas  and  canoes,  passed  us 
continually  on  the  right  and  left ; yet  amid  so  many 
signs  of  life,  motion,  traffic,  bustle,  the  sweet  sound  of  the 
rippling  waters  alone  fell  on  the  ear.  No  rumbling  of 
wheels,  nor  clatter  of  hoofs,  nor  clangor  of  bells,  nor  roar 
and  scream  of  engines  to  shock  the  soothing  fairy-like 
illusion.  The  double  charm  of  stillness  and  starlight  was 
perfect.  * 

“ By  the  by,”  broke  in  my  cheery  new  friend,  “ you  ’ll 
have  to  go  with  me  to  the  play,  main  ; because  my  wife 
is  there  with  the  boys,  and  the  house-key  is  in  her  pocket.” 

“ To  the  play  ! ” 

“ 0,  don’t  be  alarmed,  ma’m  ! It ’s  not  a regular  thea- 
tre ; only  a catchpenny  show,  got  up  by  a Frenchman, 
who  came  from  Singapore  a fortnight  since.  And  having 
so  little  amusement  here,  we  are  grateful  for  anything 
that  may  help  to  break  the  monotony.  The  temporary 
playhouse  is  within  the  palace  grounds  of  his  Iioyal 
Highness  Prince  Krom  Lhuang  Wongse ; and  I hope  to 
have  an  opportunity  to  introduce  you  to  the  Prince,  who 
I believe  is  to  be  present  with  his  family.” 

The  intelligence  was  not  gratifying,  a Siamese  prince 
had  too  lately  disturbed  my  moral  equilibrium ; but  I 
held  my  peace  and  awaited  the  result  with  resignation. 
A few  strokes  of  the  oars,  seconded  by  the  swift  though 
silent  current,  brought  us  to  a wooden  pier  surmounted 

by  two  glaring  lanterns.  Captain  B handed  us  out. 

My  child,  startled  from  a deep  sleep,  was  refractory,  and 
would  not  trust  himself  out  of  my  fond  keeping.  AYhen 
finally  I had  struggled  with  him  in  my  arms  to  the  land- 
ing, I saw  in  the  shadow  a form  coiled  on  a piece  of 
striped  matting.  Was  it  a bear  ? No,  a prince ! For  the 


12 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


clumsy  mass  of  reddish-brown  flesh  unrolled  and  uplifted 
itself,  and  held  out  a human  arm,  with  a fat  hand  at  the 

end  of  it,  when  Captain  B presented  me  to  “his  Royal 

Highness.”  Near  by  was  his  Excellency  the  Prime  Min- 
ister, in  the  identical  costume  that  had  disgraced  our 
unpleasant  interview  on  the  Chow  Phya ; he  was  smok- 
ing a European  pipe,  and  plainly  enjoying  our  terrors. 
My  stalwart  friend  contrived  to  squeeze  us,  and  even 
himself,  first  through  a bamboo  door,  and  then  through  a 
crowd  of  hot  people,  to  seats  fronting  a sort  of  altar,  con- 
secrated to  the  arts  of  jugglery.  A number  of  Chinamen 
of  respectable  appearance  occupied  the  more  distant 
places,  while  those  immediately  behind  us  were  filled 
by  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  foreign  community. 
On  a raised  dais  hung  with  kincob  * curtains,  the  ladies 
of  the  Prince’s  harem  reclined ; -while  their  children, 
shining  in  silk  and  ornaments  of  gold,  laughed,  prattled, 
and  gesticulated,  until  the  juggler  appeared,  when  they 
were  stunned  with  sudden  wonder.  Under  the  eaves  on 
all  sides  human  heads  were  packed,  on  every  head  its 
cherished  tuft  of  hair,  like  a stiff  black  brush  inverted,  in 
every  mouth  its  delicious  cud  of  areca-nut  and  betel, 
which  the  human  cattle  ruminated  with  industrious  con- 
tent. The  juggler,  a keen  little  Frenchman,  plied  his 
arts  nimbly,  and  what  with  his  ventriloquial  doll,  his 
empty  bag  full  of  eggs,  his  stones  that  were  candies,  and 
his  candies  that  were  stones,  and  his  stuffed  birds  that 
sang,  astonished  and  delighted  his  unsophisticated  patrons, 
whose  applauding  murmurs  were  diversified  by  familiarly 
silly  shrieks  — the  true  Siamese  Did-you-ever ! — from  be- 
hind the  kincob  curtains. 

But  I was  weary  and  disheartened,  and  welcomed  with 
a sigh  of  relief  the  closing  of  the  show.  As  we  passed  out 
with  our  guide,  the  glare  of  many  torches  falling  on  the 

* Silk,  embroidered  with  gold  flowers. 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD. 


13 

dark  silent  river  made  the  swarthy  forms  ‘of  the  boatmen 

weird  and  Charon-like.  Mrs.  B welcomed  us  with  a 

pleasant  smile  to  her  little  heaven  of  home  across  the 
river,  and  by  the  simplicity  and  gentleness  of  her  man- 
ners dispelled  in  a measur°  my  feeling  of  forlornness. 
When  at  last  I found  myselt  alone,  I would  have  sought 
the  sleep  I so  much  needed,  but  the  strange  scenes  of  the 
day  chased  each  other  in  agitating  confusion  through  my 
brain.  Then  I quitted  the  side  of  my  sleeping  boy,  tri- 
umphant in  his  dreamless  innocence,  and  sat  defeated  by 
the  window,  to  crave  counsel  and  help  from  the  ever- 
present Friend ; and  as  I waited  I sank  into  a tumultuous 
slumber,  from  which  at  last  I started  to  find  the  long- 
tarrying  dawn  climbing  over  a low  wall  and  creeping 
through  a half-open  shutter. 


II. 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 

I STARTED  up,  arranged  my  dress,  and  smoothed  my 
hair ; though  no  water  nor  any  after-touches  could 
remove  the  shadow  that  night  of  gloom  and  loneliness 
had  left  upon  my  face.  But  my  hoy  awoke  with  eager, 
questioning  eyes,  his  smile  bright  and  his  hair  lustrous. 
As  we  knelt  together  by  the  window  at  the  feet  of  “ Our 
Father,”  I could  not  but  ask  in  the  darkness  of  my  trouble, 
did  it  need  so  bitter  a baptism  as  ours  to  purify  so  young 
a soul ? 

In  an  outer  room  we  met  Mrs.  B en  dfohahilM,  and 

scarcely  so  pretty  as  at  our  first  meeting,  but  for  her  smile, 
remarkable  for  its  subtile,  evanescent  sweetness.  At 
breakfast  our  host  joined  us,  and,  after  laughing  at  our 
late  predicament  and  fright,  assured  me  of  that  which  I 
have  since  experienced,  — the  genuine  goodness  of  the 
Prince  Krom  Lhuang  Wongse.  Every  foreign  resident  of 
Bangkok,  who  at  any  time  has  had  friendly  acquaintance  or 
business  with  him,  would,  I doubt  not,  join  me  in  expres- 
sions of  admiration  and  regard  for  one  who  has  main- 
tained through  circumstances  so  trying  and  under  a 
system  so  oppressive  an  exemplary  reputation  for  liber- 
ality, integrity,  justice,  and  humanity. 

Soon  after  breakfast  the  Prime  Minister’s  boat,  with 
the  slave  interpreter  who  had  questioned  me  on  the 
steamer,  arrived  to  take  us  to  his  Excellency’s  palace. 

In  about  a quarter  of  an  hour  we  found  ourselves  in 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


15 


front  of  a low  gateway,  which  opened  on  a wide  court- 
yard, or  “ compound,”  paved  with  rough-hewn  slabs  of 
stone.  A brace  of  Chinese  mandarins  of  ferocious  aspect, 
cut  in  stone  and  mounted  on  stone  horses,  guarded  the 
entrance.  Farther  on,  a pair  of  men-at-arms  in  bass-relief 
challenged  us ; and  near  these  were  posted  two  living 
sentries,  in  European  costume,  but  without  shoes.  On 
the  left  was  a pavilion  for  theatrical  entertainments,  one 
entire  wall  being  covered  with  scenic  pictures.  On  the 
right  of  this  stood  the  palace  of  the  Prime  Minister, 
displaying  a semicircular  fagcule ; in  the  background  a 
range  of  buildings  of  considerable  extent,  comprising  the 
lodgings  of  his  numerous  wives.  Attached  to  the  largest 
of  these  houses  was  a charming  garden  of  flowers,  in  the 
midst  of  which  a refreshing  fountain  played.  His  Excel- 
lency’s residence  abounded  within  in  carvings  and  gild- 
ings, elegant  in  design  and  color,  that  blended  and  har- 
monized in  pleasing  effects  with  the  luxurious  draperies 
that  hung  in  rich  folds  from  the  windows. 

We  moved  softly,  as  the  interpreter  led  us  through  a 
suite  of  spacious  saloons,  disposed  in  ascending  tiers,  and 
all  carpeted,  candelabraed,  and  appointed  in  the  most 
costly  European  fashion.  A superb  vase  of  silver,  em- 
bossed and  burnished,  stood  on  a table  inlaid  with  mother- 
of-pearl  and  chased  with  silver.  Flowers  of  great  variety 
and  beauty  filled  the  rooms  with  a delicious  though 
slightly  oppressive  fragrance.  On  every  side  my  eyes 
were  delighted  with  rare  vases,  jewelled  cups  and  boxes, 
burnished  chalices,  dainty  statuettes,  — objets  dc  virtu, 
Oriental  and  European,  antique  and  modern,  blending  the 
old  barbaric  splendors  with  the  graces  of  the  younger 
arts. 

As  we  waited,  fascinated  and  bewildered,  the  Prime 
Minister  suddenly  stood  before  us,  — the  semi-nude  bar- 
barian of  last  night.  I lost  my  presence  of  mind,  and  in 


16 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


my  embarrassment  would  have  left  the  room.  But  he 
held  out  his  hand,  saying,  “ Good  morning,  sir  ! Take  a 
seat,  sir  ! ” which  I did  somewhat  shyly,  but  not  with- 
out a smile  for  his  comical  “ sir.”  I spied  a number  of 
young  girls  peeping  at  us  from  behind  curtains,  while 
the  male  attendants,  among  whom  were  his  younger 
brothers,  nephews,  and  cousins,  crouched  in  the  ante- 
chamber on  all  fours.  His  Excellency,  with  an  expres- 
sion of  pleased  curiosity,  and  that  same  grand  uncon- 
sciousness of  his  alarming  poverty  of  costume,  approached 
us  nearly,  and,  with  a kindly  smile  patting  Boy  on  the 
head,  asked  him  his  name.  But  the  child  cried  aloud, 
“ Mamma,  come  home  ! Please,  mamma,  come  home  ! ” 
and  I found  it  not  easy  to  quiet  him. 

Presently,  mustering  courage  for  myself  also,  I ven- 
tured to  express  my  wish  for  a quiet  house  or  apartments, 
where  I might  be  free  from  intrusion,  and  at  perfect  lib- 
erty before  and  after  school-hours. 

When  this  reasonable  request  was  interpreted  to  him — 
seemingly  in  a few  monosyllables  — he  stood  looking  at 
me,  smiling,  as  if  surprised  and  amused  that  I should 
have  notions  on  the  subject  of  liberty.  Quickly  this  look 
became  inquisitive  and  significant,  so  that  I began  to 
fancy  he  had  doubts  as  to  the  use  I might  make  of  my 
stipulated  freedom,  and  was  puzzled  to  conjecture  why  a 
woman  should  wish  to  be  free  at  all.  Some  such  thought 
must  have  passed  through  his  mind,  for  he  said  abruptly, 
“ You  not  married  ! ” 

I bowed. 

“ Then  where  will  you  go  in  the  evening  ? ” 

“ Not  anywhere,  your  Excellency.  I simply  desire  to 
secure  for  myself  and  my  child  some  hours  of  privacy  and 
rest,  when  my  duties  do  not  require  my  presence  else- 
where.” 

“ How  many  years  your  husband  has  been  dead  ? ” he 
asked. 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


17 


I replied  that  his  Excellency  had  no  right  to  pry  into 
my  domestic  concerns.  His  business  was  with  me  as  a 
governess  only ; on  any  other  subject  I declined  convers- 
ing. I enjoyed  the  expression  of  blank  amazement  with 
which  he  regarded  me  on  receiving  this  somewhat  defiant 
reply.  “ Tam  chai  ! ” (“  Please  yourself ! ”)  he  said,  and 
proceeded  to  pace  to  and  fro,  but  without  turning  his  eyes 
from  my  face,  or  ceasing  to  smile.  Then  he  said  some- 
thing to  his  attendants,  five  or  six  of  whom,  raising  them- 
selves on  their  knees,  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
carpet,  crawled  backward  till  they  reached  the  steps, 
bobbed  their  heads  and  shoulders,  started  spasmodically 
to  their  feet,  and  fied  from  the  apartment.  My  boy,  who 
had  been  awed  and  terrified,  began  to  cry,  and  I too  was 
startled.  Again  he  uttered  the  harsh  gutturals,  and  in- 
stantly, as  with  an  electric  shock,  another  half-dozen  of 
the  prostrate  slaves  sprang  up  and  ran.  Then  he  resumed 
liis  mysterious  promenade,  still  carefully  keeping  an  eye 
upon  us,  and  smiling  by  way  of  conversation.  It  was  long 
before  I could  imagine  what  we  were  to  do.  Boy,  fairly 
tortured,  cried  “ Come  home,  mamma  ! why  don’t  you 
come  home  ? I don’t  like  that  man.”  His  Excellency 
halted,  and  sinking  his  voice  ominously,  said,  “ You  no 
can  go!”  Boy  clutched  my  dress,  and  hid  his  face  and 
smothered  his  sobs  in  my  lap ; and  yet,  attracted,  fasci- 
nated, the  poor  little  fellow  from  time  to  time  looked  up, 
only  to  shudder,  tremble,  and  hide  his  face  again.  For 
his  sake  I was  glad  when  the  interpreter  returned  on  all 
fours.  Pushing  one  elbow  straight  out  before  the  other, 
in  the  manner  of  these  people,  he  approached  his  master 
with  such  a salutation  as  might  be  offered  to  deity ; and 
with  a few  more  unintelligible  utterances,  his  Excellency 
bowed  to  us,  and  disappeared  behind  a mirror.  All  the 
curious,  peering  eyes  that  had  been  directed  upon  us  from 
every  nook  and  corner  where  a curtain  hung,  instantly 


18 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


vanished ; and  at  the  same  time  sweet,  wild  music,  like 
the  tinkling  of  silver  hells  in  the  distance,  fell  upon  our 
ears. 

To  my  astonishment  the  interpreter  stood  boldly  up- 
right, and  began  to  contemplate  his  irresistible  face  and 
figure  in  a glass,  and  arrange  with  cool  coxcombry  his 
darling  tuft  of  hair ; which  done,  he  approached  us  with 
a mild  swagger,  and  proceeded  to  address  me  with  a free- 
dom which  I found  it  expedient  to  snub.  I told  him 
that,  although  I did  not  require  any  human  being  to  go 
down  on  his  face  and  hands  before  me,  I should  never- 
theless tolerate  no  familiarity  or  disrespect  from  any  one. 
The  fellow  understood  me  well  enough,  but  did  not  per- 
mit me  to  recover  immediately  from  my  surprise  at  the 
sudden  change  in  his  bearing  and  tone.  As  he  led  us  tr> 
the  two  elegant  rooms  reserved  for  us  in  the  west  end  of 
the  palace,  he  informed  us  that  he  was  the  Premier’s  half- 
brother,  and  hinted  that  I would  be  wise  to  conciliate 
him  if  I wished  to  have  my  own  way.  In  the  act  of 
entering  one  of  the  rooms,  I turned  upon  him  angrily 
and  bade  him  be  off.  The  next  moment  this  half-brother 
of  a Siamese  magnate  was  kneeling  in  abject  supplication 
in  the  half-open  doorway,  imploring  me  not  to  report  him 
to  his  Excellency,  and  promising  never  to  offend  again. 
Here  was  a miracle  of  repentance  I had  not  looked  for; 
but  the  miracle  was  sham.  Page,  cunning,  insolence, 
servility,  and  hypocrisy  were  vilely  mixed  in  the  minion. 

Our  chambers  opened  on  a quiet  piazza,  shaded  by 
fruit-trees  in  blossom,  and  overlooking  a small  artificial 
lake  stocked  with  pretty,  sportive  fish. 

To  be  free  to  make  a stunning  din  is  a Siamese 
woman’s  idea  of  perfect  enjoyment.  Hardly  were  we 
installed  in  our  apartments  when,  with  a pell-mell  rush 
and  screams  of  laughter,  the  ladies  of  his  Excellency’s 
private  Utah  reconnoitred  us  in  force.  Crowding  in 


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19 


through  the  half-open  door,  they  scrambled  for  me 
with  eager  curiosity,  all  trying  at  once  to  embrace  me 
boisterously,  and  promiscuously  chattering  in  shrill  Sia- 
mese, — a bedlam  of  parrots  ; while  I endeavored  to  make 
myself  impartially  agreeable  in  the  language  of  signs 
and  glances.  Nearly  all  were  young ; and  in  symmetry 
of  form,  delicacy  of  feature,  and  fairness  of  complexion, 
decidedly  superior  to  the  Malay  women  I had  been  ac- 
customed to.  Most  of  them  might  have  been  positively 
attractive,  but  for  their  ingeniously  ugly  mode  of  clipping 
the  hair  and  blackening  the  teeth. 

The  youngest  were  mere  children,  hardly  more  than 
fourteen  years  old.  All  were  arrayed  in  rich  materials, 
though  the  fashion  did  not  differ  from  that  of  their 
slaves,  numbers  of  whom  were  prostrate  in  the  rooms 
and  passages.  My  apartments  were  ablaze  with  their 
crimson,  blue,  orange,  and  purple,  their  ornaments  of 
gold,  their  rings  and  brilliants,  and  their  jewelled  boxes. 
Two  or  three  of  the  younger  girls  satisfied  my  Western 
ideas  of  beauty,  with  their  clear,  mellow,  olive  complex- 
ions, and  their  almond-shaped  eyes,  so  dark  yet  glowing. 
Those  among  them  who  were  really  old  were  simply 
hideous  and  repulsive.  One  wretched  crone  shuffled 
through  the  noisy  throng  with  an  air  of  authority,  and 
pointing  to  Boy  lying  in  my  lap,  cried,  “ Moolay,  moolay  ! ” 
“ Beautiful,  beautiful ! ” The  familiar  Malay  word  fell 
pleasantly  on  my  ear,  and  I was  delighted  to  find  some 
one  through  whom  I might  possibly  control  the  disor- 
derly bevy  around  me.  I addressed  her  in  Malay.  In- 
stantly my  visitors  were  silent,  and  waiting  in  attitudes 
of  eager  attention. 

She  told  me  she  was  one  of  the  many  custodians  of 
the  harem.  She  was  a native  of  Quedah ; and  “ some 
sixty  years  ago,”  she  and  her  sister,  together  with  other 
young  Malay  girls,  were  captured  while  working  in  the 


20 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


fields  by  a party  of  Siamese  adventurers.  They  were 
brought  to  Siam  and  sold  as  slaves.  At  first  she  mourned 
miserably  for  her  home  and  parents.  But  while  she  was 
yet  young  and  attractive  she  became  a favorite  of  the 
late  Somdetch  Ong  Yai,  father  of  her  present  lord,  and 
bore  him  two  sons,  just  as  “ moolay,  moolay  ” as  my  own 
darling.  But  they  were  dead.  (Here,  with  the  end  of 
her  soiled  silk  scarf  she  furtively  wiped  a tear  from  her 
face,  no  longer  ugly.)  And  her  gracious  lord  was  dead 
also ; it  was  he  who  gave  her  this  beautiful  gold  betel- 
box. 

“ But  how  is  it  that  you  are  still  a slave  ? ” I asked. 

“ I am  old  and  ugly  and  childless : and  therefore,  to  be 
trusted  by  my  dead  lord’s  son,  the  beneficent  prince,  upon 
whose  head  be  blessings,”  — clasping  her  withered  hands, 
and  turning  toward  that  part  of  the  palace  where,  no 
doubt,  he  was  enjoying  a “ beneficent”  nap. 

“ And  now  it  is  my  privilege  to  watch  and  guard  these 
favored  ones,  that  they  see  no  man  but  their  lord.” 

The  repulsive  uncomeliness  of  this  woman  had  been 
wrought  by  oppression  out  of  that  which  must  have  been 
beautiful  once ; for  the  spirit  of  beauty  came  back  to  her 
for  a moment,  with  the  passing  memories  that  brought 
her  long-lost  treasures  with  them.  In  the  brutal  tragedy 
of  a slave’s  experience,  — a female  slave  in  the  harem  of 
an  Asian  despot,  — the  native  angel  in  her  had  been 
bruised,  mutilated,  defaced,  deformed,  but  not  quite  oblit- 
erated. 

Her  story  ended,  the  younger  women,  to  whom  her 
language  had  been  strange,  could  no  longer  suppress  their 
merriment,  nor  preserve  the  decorum  due  to  her  age  and 
authority.  Again  they  swarmed  about  me  like  bees,  ply- 
ing me  pertinaciously  with  questions,  as  to  my  age,  hus- 
band, children,  country,  customs,  possessions  ; and  pres- 
ently crowned  the  inquisitorial  performance  by  asking,  in 


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21 


all  seriousness,  if  I should  not  like  to  be  the  wife  of  the 
prince,  their  lord,  rather  than  of  the  terrible  Chow-che- 
witt.* 

Here  was  a monstrous  suggestion  that  struck  me  dumb. 
Without  replying,  I rose  and  shook  them  off,  retiring  with 
my  boy  into  the  inner  chamber.  But  they  pursued  me 
without  compunction,  repeating  the  extraordinary  “ co- 
nundrum,” and  dragging  the  Malay  duenna  along  with 
them  to  interpret  my  answer.  The  intrusion  provoked 
me ; but,  considering  their  beggarly  poverty  of  true  life 
and  liberty,  of  hopes  and  joys,  and  loves  and  memories, 
and  holy  fears  and  sorrows,  with  which  a full  and  true 
response  might  have  twitted  them,  I was  ashamed  to  be 
vexed. 

Seeing  it  impossible  to  rid  myself  of  them,  I promised 
to  answer  their  question,  on  condition  that  they  would 
leave  me  for  that  day.  Immediately  all  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  me. 

“ The  prince,  your  lord,  and  the  king,  your  Chow-che- 
witt,  are  pagans,”  I said.  “An  English,  that  is  a Christian, 
woman  would  rather  be  put  to  the  torture,  chained  and 
dungeoned  for  life,  or  suffer  a death  the  slowest  and  most 
painful  you  Siamese  know,  than  be  the  wife  of  either.” 

They  remained  silent  in  astonishment,  seemingly  with- 
held from  speaking  by  an  instinctive  sentiment  of  re- 
spect ; until  one,  more  volatile  than  the  rest,  cried, 
“ What ! not  if  he  gave  you  all  these  jewelled  rings  and 
boxes,  and  these  golden  things  ? ” 

When  the  old  woman,  fearing  to  offend,  whispered  this 
test  question  in  Malay  to  me,  I laughed  at  the  earnest 
eyes  around,  and  said  : “ No,  not  even  then.  I am  only 
here  to  teach  the  royal  family.  I am  not  like  you.  You 
have  nothing  to  do  but  to  play  and  sing  and  dance  for 
your  master;  but  I have  to  work  for  my  children  ; and 

* Choic-chc-u'ilt,  — “ Prince  of  life,”  — the  .supreme  king. 


22 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


one  little  one  is  now  on  the  great  ocean,  and  I am  very 
sad.” 

Shades  of  sympathy,  more  or  less  deep,  flitted  across 
the  faces  of  my  audience,  and  for  a moment  they  re- 
garded me  as  something  they  could  neither  convince  nor 
comfort  nor  understand.  Then  softly  repeating  Poot- 
tlioo  ! Poot-tlwo  ! “ Dear  God  ! dear  God  ! ” they  quietly 

left  me.  A minute  more,  and  I heard  them  laughing  and 
shouting  in  the  halls. 

Relieved  of  my  curious  and  exacting  visitors,  I lay 
down  and  fell  into  a deep  sleep,  from  which  I was  sud- 
denly awakened,  in  the  afternoon,  by  the  cries  of  Beebe, 
who  rushed  into  the  chamber,  her  head  hare,  her  fine 
muslin  veil  trampled  under  her  feet,  and  her  face  dramat- 
ically expressive  of  terror  and  despair.  Moonshee,  her 
husband,  ignorant  alike  of  the  topography,  the  language, 
and  the  rules  of  the  place,  had  by  mistake  intruded  in 
the  sacred  penetralia  where  lounged  the  favorite  of  the 
harem,  to  the  lively  horror  of  that  shrinking  Nourmahal, 
and  the  general  wrath  of  the  old  women  on  guard,  two 
of  -whom,  the  ugliest,  fiercest,  and  most  muscular,  had 
dragged  him,  daft  and  trembling,  to  summary  inquisition. 

I followed  Beebe  headlong  to  an  open  sala,  where  we 
found  that  respectable  servant  of  the  Prophet,  his  hands 
tied,  his  turban  off,  woe-begone  but  resigned  ; faithful  and 
philosophic  Moslem  that  he  was,  lie  only  waited  for  his 
throat  to  be  cut,  since  it  was  his  lcismut,  his  perverse 
destiny,  that  had  brought  him  to  such  a region  of  Kafirs, 
(infidels).  Assuring  him  that  there  was  nothing  to  fear, 
I despatched  a messenger  in  search  of  the  interpreter, 
while  Beebe  wept  and  protested.  Presently  an  impos- 
ing personage  stalked  upon  the  scene,  whose  appearance 
matched  his  temper  and  his  conduct.  This  was  the 
judge.  In  vain  I strove  to  explain  to  him  by  signs  and 
gestures  that  my  servant  had  offended  unwittingly ; he 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


23 


could  not  or  would  not  understand  me ; but  stormed 
away  at  our  poor  old  man,  who  bore  his  abuse  with  the 
calm  indifference  of  profound  ignorance,  having  never 
before  been  cursed  in  a foreign  language. 

The  loafers  of  the  yards  and  porches  shook  off  their  lazy 
naps  and  gathered  round  us ; and  among  them  came  the 
interpreter,  insolent  satisfaction  beaming  in  his  bad  face. 
He  coolly  declined  to  interfere,  protesting  that  it  was  not 
his  business,  and  that  the  judge  would  be  offended  if  he 
offered  to  take  part  in  the  proceedings.  Moonshee  was 
condemned  to  be  stripped,  and  beaten  with  twenty  strokes. 
Here  was  an  end  to  my  patience.  Going  straight  up  to 
the  judge,  I told  him  that  if  a single  lash  was  laid  upon 
the  old  man’s  back  (which  was  bared  as  I spoke),  lie  should 
suffer  tenfold,  for  I would  immediately  lay  the  matter 
before  the  British  Consul.  Though  I spoke  in  English, 
he  caught  the  familiar  words  “ British  Consul,”  and  turn- 
ing to  the  interpreter,  demanded  the  explanation  he 
should  have  listened  to  before  he  pronounced  sentence. 
But  even  as  the  interpreter  was  jabbering  away  to  the  un- 
reasonable functionary,  the  assembly  was  agitated  with 
what  the  French  term  a “sensation.”  Judge,  interpreter, 
and  all  fell  upon  their  faces,  doubling  themselves  up  ; and 
there  stood  the  Premier,  who  took  in  the  situation  at  a 
glance,  ordered  Moonshee  to  be  released,  and  permitted 
him  at  my  request  to  retire  to  the  room  allotted  to 
Beebe.  While  the  slaves  were  alert  in  the  execution  of 
these  benevolent  commands,  the  interpreter  slunk  away  on 
his  face  and  elbows.  But  the  old  Moslem,  as  soon  as  his 
hands  were  free,  picked  up  his  turban,  advanced,  and  laid 
it  at  the  feet  of  his  deliverer,  with  the  graceful  salutation 
of  his  people,  “ reace  be  with  thee,  O Vizier  of  a wise 
king ! ” The  mild  and  venerable  aspect  of  the  Moonshee, 
and  his  snow-white  beard  falling  low  upon  his  breast, 
must  have  inspired  the  Siamese  statesman  with  abiding 


24 


A SIAMESE  PREMIER  AT  HOME. 


feelings  of  respect  and  consideration,  for  he  was  ever 
afterward  indulgent  to  that  Oriental  Dominie  Sampson  of 
my  little  household. 

Dinner  at  the  Premier’s  was  composed  and  served  with 
the  same  incongruous  blending  of  the  barbaric  and  the 
refined,  the  Oriental  and  the  European,  that  characterized 
the  furniture  and  adornments  of  his  palace.  The  saucy 
little  pages  who  handled  the  dishes  had  cigarettes  between 
their  pouting  lips,  and  from  time  to  time  hopped  over 
the  heads  of  Medusae  to  expectorate.  When  I pointed  re- 
proachfully to  the  double  peccadillo,  they  only  laughed 
and  scampered  off.  Another  detachment  of  these  lads 
brought  in  fruits,  and,  when  they  had  set  the  baskets  or 
dishes  on  the  table,  retired  to  sofas  to  lounge  till  we  had 
dined.  But  finding  I objected  to  such  manners,  they  gig- 
gled gayly,  performed  several  acrobatic  feats  on  the  carpet, 
and  left  us  to  wait  on  ourselves. 

Twilight  on  my  pretty  piazza.  The  fiery  sun  is  setting, 
and  long  pencils  of  color,  from  palettes  of  painted  glass, 
touch  with  rose  and  gold  the  low  brow  and  downcast 
eyes  and  dainty  bosom  of  a bust  of  Clyte.  Beebe  and 
Moonshee  are  preparing  below  in  the  open  air  their  even- 
ing meal ; and  the  smoke  of  their  pottage  is  borne  slowly, 
heavily  on  the  hot  still  air,  stirred  only  by  the  careless 
laughter  of  girls  plunging  and  paddling  in  the  dimpled 
lake.  The  blended  gloom  and  brightness  without  enter, 
and  interweave  themselves  with  the  blended  gloom  and 
brightness  within,  where  lights  and  shadows  lie  half 
asleep  and  half  awake,  and  life  breathes  itself  sluggishly 
away,  or  drifts  on  a slumberous  stream  toward  its  ocean 
of  death. 


III. 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 
EFORE  inducting  the  reader  to  more  particular  ac- 


quaintance with  his  Excellency  Chow  Phya  Sri- 
Sury  Wongse  Samuha-P’hra  Kralahome,  I have  thought 
that  “ an  abstract  and  brief  chronicle  ” of  the  times  of 
the  strange  people  over  whom  he  is  not  less  than  second 
in  dignity  and  power,  would  not  be  out  of  place. 

In  the  opinion  of  Pickering,  the  Siamese  are  undoubt- 
edly Malay ; but  a majority  of  the  intelligent  Europeans 
who  have  lived  long  among  them  regard  the  native  popu- 
lation as  mainly  Mongolian.  They  are  generally  of  me- 
dium stature,  the  face  broad,  the  forehead  low,  the  eyes 
black,  the  cheekbones  prominent,  the  chin  retreating,  the 
mouth  large,  the  lips  thick,  and  the  beard  scanty.  In 
common  with  most  of  the  Asiatic  races,  they  are  apt 
to  be  indolent,  improvident,  greedy,  intemperate,  sen  ile, 
cruel,  vain,  inquisitive,  superstitious,  and  cowardly  ; but 
individual  variations  from  the  more  repulsive  types  are 
happily  not  rare.  In  public  they  are  scrupulously  polite 
and  decorous  according  to  their  own  notions  of  good 
manners,  respectful  to  the  aged,  affectionate  to  their  kin- 
dred, and  bountiful  to  their  priests,  of  whom  more  than 
twenty  thousand  are  supported  by  voluntary  contribu- 
tions in  Bangkok  alone.  Marriage  is  contracted  at  six- 
teen for  males,  and  fourteen  for  females,  and  polygamy  is 
the  common  practice,  without  limit  to  the  number  of 


O 


26 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


wives  except  such  as  may  he  imposed  by  the  humble 
estate  or  poverty  of  the  husband ; the  women  are  gen- 
erally treated  with  consideration. 

The  bodies  of  the  dead  are  burned ; and  the  badges  of 
mourning  are  white  robes  for  those  of  the  family  or  kin- 
folk who  are  younger  than  the  deceased,  black  for  those 
who  are  older,  and  shaven  heads  for  all  who  are  in  inferior 
degrees  connected  with  the  dead,  either  as  descendants, 
dependents,  servants,  or  slaves.  When  a king  dies  the 
entire  population,  with  the  exception  of  very  young  chil- 
dren, must  display  this  tonsorial  uniform. 

Every  ancient  or  famous  city  of  Siam  has  a story  of  its 
founding,  woven  for  it  from  tradition  or  fable ; and  each 
of  these  legends  is  distinguished  from  the  others  by 
peculiar  features.  The  religion,  customs,  arts,  and  litera- 
ture of  a people  naturally  impart  to  their  annals  a spirit 
all  their  own.  Especially  is  this  the  case  in  the  Orient, 
where  the  most  original  and  suggestive  thought  is  half 
disguised  in  the  garb  of  metaphor,  and  where,  in  spite  of 
vivid  fancies  and  fiery  passions,  the  people  affect  taci- 
turnity or  reticence,  and  delight  in  the  metaphysical  and 
the  mystic.  Hence  the  early  annals  of  the  Siamese,  or 
Sajamese,  abound  in  fables  of  heroes,  demigods,  giants, 
and  genii,  and  afford  but  few  facts  of  practical  value. 
Swayed  by  religious  influences,  they  joined,  in  the  spirit 
of  the  Hebrews,  the  name  of  God  to  the  titles  of  their 
rulers  and  princes,  whom  they  almost  deified  after 
death.  But  the  skeleton  sketch  of  the  history  of  Siam 
that  follows  is  of  comparatively  modern  date,  and  may 
be  accepted  as  in  the  main  authentic. 

In  the  year  712  of  the  Siamese,  and  1350  of  the  Chris- 
tian era,  Bhya-Othong  founded,  near  the  river  Meinam, 
about  sixty  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  the  city  of 
Ayudia  or  Ayuthia  (“  the  Abode  of  the  Gods  ”) ; at  the 
same  time  he  assumed  the  title  of  P’hra  Kama  ThibodL 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


27 


This  capital  and  stronghold  was  continually  exposed  to 
storms  of  civil  war  and  foreign  invasion  ; and  its  turret ed 
battlements  and  ponderous  gates,  with  the  wide  deep  moat 
spanned  by  drawbridges,  where  now  is  a forest  of  great 
trees,  were  but  the  necessary  fences  behind  which  court 
and  garrison  took  shelter  from  the  tempestuous  barbarism 
in  the  midst  of  which  they  lived.  But  before  any  portion 
of  the  city,  except  that  facing  the  river,  could  boast  of  a 
fortified  enclosure,  hostile  enterprises  were  directed  against 
it.  Birman  pirates,  ascending  the  Meinam  in  formida- 
ble flotillas,  harassed  it.  Thrice  they  ravaged  the  coun- 
try around  ; but  on  the  last  of  these  occasions  great  num- 
bers of  them  were  captured  and  put  to  cruel  death  by 
P’hraRama  Suen,  successor  to  Thibodi,  who  pursued  the 
routed  remnant  to  the  very  citadel  of  Chiengmai,  then  a 
tributary  of  the  Birman  Empire.  Having  made  success- 
ful war  upon  this  province,  and  impressed  thousands  of 
Laotian  captives,  he  next  turned  his  arms  against  Cam- 
bodia, took  the  capital  by  storm,  slew  every  male  capable 
of  bearing  arms,  and  carried  off  enormous  treasures  in 
plate  gold,  with  which,  on  his  return  to  his  kingdom,  he 
erected  a remarkable  pagoda,  called  to  this  day  “ The 
Mountain  of  Gold.” 

P’hra  llama  Suen  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Pliya 
Earn,  who  reigned  fourteen  years,  and  was  assassinated 
by  his  uncle,  Inthra  Eacha,  the  governor  or  feudal  lord  of 
the  city,  who  had  snatched  the  reins  of  government  and 
sent  three  of  his  sons  to  rule  over  the  northern  provinces. 
At  the  death  of  Inthra  Eacha,  in  780,  two  of  these  princes 
set  out  simultaneously,  with  the  design  of  seizing  and 
occupying  the  vacant  throne.  Mounted  on  elephants,  they 
met  in  the  dusk  of  evening  on  a bridge  leading  to  the 
Eoyal  Palace ; and  each  instantly  divining  his  brother’s 
purpose,  they  dismounted,  and  with  their  naked  swords 
fell  upon  each  other  with  such  fury  that  both  were  slain 
on  the  spot. 


28 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


The  political  and  social  disorganization  that  prevailed 
at  this  period  was  aggravated  by  the  vulnerable  condition 
of  the  monarchy,  then  recently  transferred  to  a new  line. 
Princes  of  the  blood  royal  were  for  a long  time  engaged, 
brother  against  brother,  in  fierce  family  feuds.  Ayuthia 
suffered  gravely  from  these  unnatural  contentions,  but 
even  more  from  the  universal  license  and  riot  that  reigned 
among  the  nobility  and  the  proud  proprietors  of  the  soil. 
In  the  distracted  and  enfeebled  state  of  all  authority, 
royal  and  magisterial,  the  fields  around  remained  for  many 
years  untilled ; and  the  only  evidence  the  land  presented 
of  the  abode  of  man  was  here  and  there  the  bristling  den 
of  some  feudal  chief,  a mere  outlaw  and  dacoit,  who  rarely 
sallied  from  it  but  to  carry  torch  and  pillage  wherever 
there  was  aught  to  sack  or  burn. 

In  834  the  undisputed  sovereignty  of  the  kingdom  fell 
to  another  P’hra  Rama  Thibodi,  who  reigned  thirty  years, 
and  is  famous  in  Siamese  annals  for  the  casting  of  a great 
image  of  Buddha,  fifty  cubits  high,  of  gold  very  moder- 
ately alloyed  with  copper.  On  an  isolated  hill,  in  a sacred 
enclosure,  he  erected  for  this  image  a stately  temple  of 
the  purest  white  marble,  approached  by  a graceful  flight 
of  steps.  From  the  ruins  of  its  eastern  front,  which  are 
still  visible,  it  appears  to  have  had  six  columns  at  either 
end  and  thirteen  on  each  side ; the  eastern  pediment  is 
adorned  with  sculptures,  as  are  also  the  ten  metopes. 

P’hra  Rama  Thibodi  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  P’hra 
Racha  Ivuman,  whose  reign  was  short,  and  chiefly  mem- 
orable for  a tremendous  conflagration  that  devastated 
Ayuthia.  It  raged  three  days,  and  destroyed  more  than  a 
hundred  thousand  houses. 

This  monarch  left  at  his  death  but  one  son,  P’hra  Yot- 
Fa,  a lad  of  twelve,  whose  mother,  the  Queen  Sisudah- 
Chand,  was  appointed  regent  during  his  minority. 

The  devil  of  ambition  has  rarely  possessed  the  heart 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


29 


of  an  Eastern  queen  more  absolutely  than  it  did  that  of 
this  infamous  woman, — infamous  even  in  heathen  annals. 
She  is  said  to  have  graced  her  exalted  station  alike  by 
the  beauty  of  her  person  and  the  charm  of  her  manner  ; 
but  in  pursuit  of  the  most  arbitrary  and  audacious  pur- 
poses she  moved  with  the  recklessness  their  nature  de- 
manded, and  with  equal  impatience  trampled  on  friend 
and  rival.  Blind  superstition  was  the  only  weak  point  in 
her  character ; but  though  her  deference  to  the  imaginary 
instructions  or  warnings  of  the  stars  was  slavish,  it  does 
not  seem  to  have  deterred  her  from  any  false  or  cruel 
course  ; indeed,  a cunning  astrologer  of  her  court,  by 
scaring  her  with  visionary  perils,  contrived  to  obtain  a 
monstrous  ascendency  over  her  mind,  only  to  plunge  her 
into  crime  more  deeply  than  by  her  own  weight  of  wick- 
edness she  might  have  sunk.  She  ordered  the  secret 
assassination  of  every  member  of  the  royal  household 
(not  excepting  her  mother  and  sisters),  who,  however 
mildly,  opposed  her  will.  Besotted  with  fear,  that  fruitful 
mother  of  crime,  she  ended  by  putting  to  death  the  young 
king,  her  son,  and  publicly  calling  her  paramour  (the  court 
astrologer,  in  whose  thoughts,  she  believed,  were  hidden 
all  the  secrets  of  divination)  to  the  throne  of  the  P’hra- 
batts. 

This  double  crime  filled  the  measure  of  her  impunity. 
The  nobility  revolted.  The  strength  of  their  faction  lay, 
not  within  the  palace,  which  was  filled  with  the  queen’s 
parasites,  but  with  the  feudal  proprietors  of  the  soil,  who, 
exasperated  by  the  abominations  of  the  court,  only 
waited  for  a chance  to  crush  it.  One  day,  as  the  queen 
and  her  paramour  were  proceeding  in  a barge  on  their 
customary  visit  to  her  private  pagoda  and  garden,  — a 
paradise  of  all  tire  floral  wonders  of  the  tropics,  — a no- 
bleman, who  had  followed  them,  hailed  the  royal  gondola, 
as  if  for  instructions,  and,  being  permitted  to  approach, 


30 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


suddenly  sprang  upon  the  guilty  pair,  drew  his  sword, 
and  dispatched  them  both,  careless  of  their  loud  cries  for 
help.  Almost  simultaneously  with  the  performance  of 
this  tragic  exploit,  the  nobles  offered  the  crown  to  an 
uncle  of  the  murdered  heir,  who  had  fled  from  the  court 
and  taken  refuge  in  a monastery.  Having  accepted  it 
and  assumed  the  title  of  Maha-Chakrapat  Racha-therat, 
he  invaded  Pegu  with  a hundred  thousand  men-at-arms, 
five  thousand  war  elephants,  and  seven  thousand  horse. 
With  this  mighty  host  he  marched  against  Hongzawadi, 
the  capital  of  Pegu,  laying  waste  the  country  as  lie  went 
with  fire  and  sword.  The  king  of  Pegu  came  out  to 
meet  him,  accompanied  by  his  romantic  and  intrepid 
queen,  Malm  Chandra,  and  supported  by  the  few  devoted 
followers  that  on  so  short  a notice  he  could  briim  to- 

O 

gether.  In  consideration  of  this  great  disparity  of  forces, 
the  two  kings  agreed,  in  the  chivalric  spirit  of  the  time, 
to  decide  the  fortune  of  the  day  by  single  combat. 
Hardly  had  they  encountered,  when  the  elephant  on 
which  the  king  of  Pegu  was  mounted  took  fright  and  fled 
the  field ; but  his  queen  promptly  took  his  place,  and 
fighting  rashly,  fell,  speared  through  the  right  breast. 
She  was  borne  off  amid  the  clash  of  cymbals  and  flourish 
of  trumpets  that  hailed  the  victor. 

Maha-Chakrapat  Racha-therat  was  a great  prince.  His 
wisdom,  valor,  and  heroic  exploits  supplied  the  native 
bards  with  inspiring  themes.  By  his  magnanimity  he 
extinguished  the  envy  of  the  neighboring  princes  and 
transformed  rivals  into  friends.  Jealous  rulers  became 
his  willing  vassals,  not  from  fear  of  his  power,  but  in  ad- 
miration for  his  virtues.  Malacca,  Tenasserim,  Ligor,  Tha- 
vai,  Martaban,  Maulmain,  Songkhla,  Chantaboon,  Phitsa- 
nulok,  Look-Kho-Thai,  Phi-chi,  Savan  Khalok,  Phechit, 
Cambodia,  and  Nakhon  Savan  were  all  dependencies  of 
Siam  under  his  reign. 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  IIISTOIIY. 


O 1 

O 1 

In  the  year  1568  of  the  Christian  era  the  Siamese  ter- 
ritory was  invaded  and  laid  under  tribute  by  a Birman 
king  named  Mandanahgri,  who  must  have  been  a warrior 
of  Napoleonic  genius,  for  he  extended  his  dominion  as 
far  as  the  confines  of  China.  It  is  remarkable  that  the 
flower  of  his  army  was  composed  of  several  thousand  Por- 
tuguese, tried  troops  in  good  discipline,  commanded  by 
the  noted  Don  Diego  Suanes.  These,  like  the  famous 
Scotch  Legion  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  in  the  Thirty  Years’ 
War,  were  mercenaries,  and  doubtless  contributed  impor- 
tantly to  the  success  of  the  Birman  arms.  Theirs  is  by 
no  means  the  only  case  of  Portuguese  soldiers  serving  for 
hire  in  the  armies  of  the  East.  Their  commander,  Sua- 
nes, seems  to  have  been  a brave  and  accomplished  officer, 
and  to  have  been  intrusted  with  undivided  control  of  the 
Birmese  forces. 

Mandanahgri  held  the  queen  of  Siam  and  her  two  sons 
as  hostages  for  the  payment  of  the  tribute  he  had  levied ; 
but  the  princes  were  permitted  to  return  to  Siam  after  a 
few  years  of  captivity  in  Birmah,  and  in  1583  their  cap- 
tor  died.  His  successor  struggled  with  an  uncle  for  pos- 
session of  the  throne,  and  the  king  of  Siam,  seizing  the 
opportunity,  declared  himself  independent ; wherefore  a 
more  formidable  army  was  shortly  sent  against  him,  under 
command  of  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  Birmah.  But 
one  of  the  young  princes  who  had  been  led  into  cap- 
tivity by  Mandanahgri  now  sat  on  the  throne  of  Siam. 
In  his  youth  he  had  been  styled  “ the  Black  Prince,”  a 
title  of  distinction  which  seems  to  have  fitted  his  charac- 
teristics not  less  appropriately  than  it  did  those  of  the 
English  Edward.  Undismayed  by  the  strength  and  fury 
of  the  enemy,  he  attacked  and  routed  them  in  a pitched 
battle,  killing  their  leader  with  his  own  hands,  invaded 
Pegu,  and  besieged  its  capital ; but  was  finally  compelled 
to  retire  with  considerable  loss.  The  Black  Prince  was 


32 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


succeeded  by  “ the  White  King,”  who  reigned  peacefully 
for  many  years. 

The  next  monarch  especially  worthy  of  notice  is  P’lira 
Narai,  who  sent  ambassadors  to  Goa,  the  most  important 
of  the  Portuguese  trading-stations  in  the  East  Indies, 
chiefly  to  invite  the  Portuguese  of  Malacca  to  establish 
themselves  in  Siam  for  mutual  advantages  of  trade.  The 
welcome  emissaries  were  sumptuously  entertained,  and  a 
Dominican  friar  accompanied  them  on  their  return,  with 
costly  presents  for  the  king.  This  friar  found  P’hra  Narai 
much  more  liberal  in  his  ideas  than  later  ambassadors, 
even  to  this  day,  have  found  any  other  ruler  of  Siam. 
He  agreed  not  only  to  permit  all  Portuguese  merchants 
to  establish  themselves  anywhere  in  his  dominions,  but  to 
exempt  their  goods  and  wares  from  duty.  The  Domini- 
can monks  were  likewise  invited  to  build  churches  and 
preach  Christianity  in  Siam. 

Soon  after  this  extraordinary  display  of  liberal  states- 
manship P’hra  Narai  narrowly  escaped  death  by  a strange 
conspiracy.  Four  or  five  hundred  Japanese  adventurers 
were  secretly  introduced  into  the  country  by  an  ambitious 
feudal  proprietor,  who  had  conceived  the  mad  design  of 
dethroning  the  monarch  and  reigning  in  his  stead ; but 
the  king,  warned  of  tire  planned  attack  upon  the  palace, 
seized  the  native  conspirator  and  put  him  to  death.  The 
Japanese,  on  the  contrary,  were  enrolled  as  a kind  of 
praetorian  guard,  or  janissaries  ; in  this  character,  how- 
ever, their  pride  and  power  became  so  formidable  that  the 
king  grew  uneasy  and  disbanded  them. 

P’hra  Narai,  from  all  accounts,  was  a man  to  be  re- 
spected and  esteemed.  The  events  and  the  dramatis 
pcrsonce  of  his  reign  form  a story  so  romantic,  so  excep- 
tional even  in  Eastern  annals,  that,  but  for  the  undoubted 
authenticity  of  this  chapter  of  Siamese  history,  it  would 
be  incredible.  It  was  during  his  reign  that  the  whimsical 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


33 


attempt  was  made  by  Louis  XIV.  to  conquer  Siam  and 
proselyte  her  king.  An  extraordinary  spectacle  ! One 
of  the  most  licentious  monarchs  of  France,  who  to  the 
last  breathed  an  atmosphere  poisoned  with  scepticism, 
and  more  than  Buddhism  itself  subversive  of  the  true 
principles  of  Christianity,  is  suddenly  inspired  with  an 
apparently  devout  longing  to  be  the  instrument  of  con- 
verting to  the  true  faith  the  princes  of  the  East.  To  this 
end  he  employs  that  wily,  powerful,  and  indefatigable 
body  of  daring  priests,  the  Jesuits,  who  were  then  in 
the  very  ardor  of  their  missionary  schemes. 

Ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  propagating  the  Gospel, 
but  with  more  reality  aspiring  to  extend  their  subtile  in- 
fluence over  all  mankind,  this  society,  with  means  the 
most  slender  and  in  the  face  of  obstacles  the  most  dis- 
heartening, have,  with  indomitable  courage  and  supernat- 
ural patience,  accomplished  labors  unparalleled  in  the 
achievements  of  mind.  Now,  in  the  wilds  of  Western 
America,  taming  and  teaching  races  of  whose  existence 
the  world  of  refinement  had  never  heard ; now  climbing 
the  icy  steeps  and  tracking  the  wastes  and  wildernesses 
of  Siberia,  or  with  the  evangel  of  John  in  one  hand  and 
the  art  of  Luke  in  the  other,  bringing  life  to  the  bodies 
and  souls  of  perishing  multitudes  under  a scorching  equa- 
torial sun,  — there  is  not  a spot  of  earth  in  which  Euro- 
pean civilization  has  taken  root  where  traces  of  Jesuit 
forethought  and  careful,  patient  husbandry  may  not  be 
found.  So  in  Siam,  we  discover  a monarch  of  consum- 
mate acumen,  more  European  than  Asiatic  in  his  ideas, 
sedulously  cultivating  the  friendship  of  these  foreign 
workers  of  wonders ; and  finally  we  find  a Greek  adven- 
turer officiating  as  prime  minister  to  this  same  king,  and 
conducting  his  affairs  with  that  ability  and  success  which 
must  have  commanded  intellectual  admiration,  even  if 
they  had  not  been  inspired  and  promoted  by  motives  of 
2*  c 


34 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


integrity  toward  tlie  monarch  who  had  so  implicitly  con- 
fided in  his  wisdom  and  fidelity. 

Constantine  Phaulkon  was  the  son  of  respectable  par- 
ents, natives  of  the  island  of  Cephalonia,  where  he  was 
horn  in  1630.  The  geography,  if  not  the  very  name,  of 
the  kingdom  whose  affairs  he  was  destined  to  direct  was 
quite  unknown  to  his  compatriots  of  the  Ionian  Isles, — 
even  when  as  a mariner,  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Malabar, 
he  became  a fellow-passenger  with  a party  of  Siamese 
officials,  his  companions  in  disaster,  who  were  returning 
to  their  country  from  an  embassy.  The  facile  Greek 
quickly  learned  to  talk  with  his  new-found  friends  in 
then  own  tongue,  and  by  his  accomplishments  and  adroit- 
ness made  a place  for  himself  in  their  admiration  and 
influence,  so  that  he  was  received  with  flattering  con- 
sideration at  the  Court  of  P’hra  Narai,  and  very  soon  in- 
vited to  take  service  under  government.  By  his  sagacity, 
tact,  and  diligence  in  the  management  of  all  affairs  in- 
trusted to  him,  he  rapidly  rose  in  favor  with  his  patron, 
who  finally  elevated  him  to  the  highest  post  of  honor  in 
the  state  : he  was  made  premier. 

The  star  of  the  Cephalonian  waif  and  adventurer  had 
now  mounted  to  the  zenith,  and  was  safe  to  shine  for 
many  years  with  unabated  brilliancy ; to  this  day  he  is 
remembered  by  the  expressive  term  Vicha-ycn,  “ the  cool 
wisdom.”  The  French  priests,  elated  at  his  success, 
spared  no  promises  or  arts  to  retain  him  secretly  in  their 
interest.  Under  circumstances  so  extraordinary  and  au- 
spicious, the  plans  of  the  Jesuits  for  the  conversion  of 
all  Eastern  Asia  were  put  in  execution.  From  the  Vat- 
ican bishops  were  appointed,  and  sent  out  to  Cochin 
China,  Cambodia,  Siam,  and  Pegu,  while  the  people  of 
those  several  kingdoms  were  yet  profoundly  ignorant  of 
the  amiable  intentions  of  the  Pope.  Francis  Pallu,  M. 
De  la  Motte  Lambert,  and  Ignatius  Cotolendy  were  the 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


35 


respective  exponents  of  this  pious  idea,  under  the  impos- 
ing titles  of  Bishops  of  Heliopolis,  Borytus,  Byzantium, 
and  Metellopolis, — all  Frenchmen,- for  Louis  XIV.  in- 
sisted that  the  glory  of  the  enterprise  should  be  ascribed 
exclusively  to  France  and  to  himself. 

But  all  their  efforts  to  convert  the  king  were  of  no 
avail.  The  Jesuits,  however,  opened  schools,  and  have 
ever  since  labored  assiduously  and  with  success  to  in- 
troduce the  ideas  and  the  arts  of  Europe  into  those 
countries. 

After  some  years  P’hra  Narai  sent  an  embassy  to  the 
Court  of  Louis,  who  was  so  sensible  of  the  flattery  that 
he  immediately  reciprocated  with  an  embassy  of  his  own, 
with  more  priests,  headed  by  the  Chevalier  De  Chaumont 
and  the  Pere  Tachard.  The  French  fleet,  of  five  ships  cast 
anchor  in  the  Meinam  on  the  27th  of  September,  1687, 
and  the  Chevalier  and  his  reverend  colleague,  attended 
by  Jesuits,  were  promptly  and  graciously  received  by  the 
king,  who,  however,  expressed  his  “ fears  ” that  the  chief 
object  of  their  mission  might  not  prove  so  easy  of  attain- 
ment as  they  had  been  led  to  believe.  As  for  Phaulkon, 
he  had  adroitly  deceived  the  Jesuits  from  the  first,  and 
made  all  parties  instruments  to  promote  his  own  shrewd 
and  secret  plans. 

De  Chaumont,  disheartened  by  his  failure,  sailed  back 
to  France,  where  he  arrived  in  1688,  in  the  height  of  the 
agitation  attending  the  English  Revolution  of  that  year. 

Phaulkon,  finding  that  he  could  no  longer  conceal  from 
the  Jesuits  the  king’s  repugnance  to  their  plans  for  his 
conversion,  placed  himself  under  their  direction  and  con- 
trol ; for  though  he  had  not  as  yet  conceived  the  idea  of 
seizing  upon  the  crown,  it  was  plain  that  he  aspired  to 
honors  higher  than  the  premiership.  Then  rumors  of 
disaffection  among  the  nobles  were  diligently  propagated 
by  the  French  priests,  who,  although  not  sufficiently  pow- 


36 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


erf ul  to  dethrone  the  king,  were  nevertheless  dangerous 
inciters  of  rebellion  among  the  common  people. 

Meanwhile  the  king  of  Johore,  then  a tributary  of  Siam, 
instigated  by  the  Dutch,  who,  from  the  first,  had  watched 
with  jealousy  the  machinations  of  the  French,  sent  envoys 
to  P’hra  Narai,  to  advise  the  extermination  or  expulsion 
of  the  French,  and  to  proffer  the  aid  of  his  troops ; but 
the  proposition  was  rejected  with  indignation. 

These  events  were  immediately  followed  by  another, 
known  in  Siamese  history  as  the  Revolt  of  the  Macassars, 
which  materially  promoted  the  ripening  of  the  revolu- 
tion of  which  the  French  had  sown  the  seeds.  Celebes,  a 
large,  irregular  island  east  of  Borneo,  includes  a district 
known  as  Macassar,  the  ruler  of  which  had  been  arbi- 
trarily dethroned  by  the  Dutch ; and  the  sons  of  the 
injured  monarch,  taking  refuge  in  Siam,  secretly  encour- 
aged the  growing  enmity  of  the  nobles  against  the 
French. 

Meanwhile  Phaulkon,  by  his  address,  and  skilful 
management  of  public  affairs,  continued  to  exercise  par- 
amount influence  over  the  mind  of  the  king.  He  per- 
suaded P’hra  Narai  to  send  another  embassy  to  France, 
which  arrived  happily  (the  former  having  been  ship- 
wrecked off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope)  at  the-Court  of  Louis 
XIV.  in  1689.  He  also  diligently  and  ably  advanced  the 
commercial  strength  of  the  country ; merchants  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  were  invited  to  settle  in  Siam,  and  fac- 
tories of  every  nation  were  established  along  the  banks 
of  the  Meinam.  Both  Ayudia  and  Lophaburee  became 
busy  and  flourishing.  He  was  careful  to  keep  the  people 
employed,  and  applied  himself  with  vigor  to  improving 
the  agriculture  of  the  country.  Rice,  sugar,  corn,  and 
palm-oil  constituting  the  most  fruitful  and  regular  source 
of  revenue,  he  wisely  regulated  the  traffic  in  those  staples, 
and  was  studious  to  promote  the  security  and  happiness 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


37 


of  the  great  body  of  the  population  engaged  or  concerned 
in  their  production.  The  laws  he  framed  were  so  sound 
and  stable,  and  at  the  same  time  so  wisely  conformable 
to  the  interests  alike  of  king  and  subject,  that  to  this 
day  they  constitute  the  fundamental  law  of  the  land. 

Phaulkon  designed  and  built  the  palaces  at  Lopha- 
buree,  consisting  of  two  lofty  edifices,  square,  with  pillars 
on  all  sides  ; each  pillar  was  made  to  represent  a succes- 
sion of  shafts  by  the  intervention  of  salient  blocks,  form- 
ing capitals  to  what  they  surmounted  and  pedestals  to 
what  they  supported.  The  apartments  within  were  gor- 
geously gilt  and  sumptuously  furnished.  There  yet  re- 
mains, in  remarkable  preservation,  a vermilion  chamber 
looking  toward  the  east;  though,  otherwise,  a forest  of 
stately  trees  and  several  broken  arches  alone  mark  the 
spot  where  dwelt  in  regal  splendor  this  foreign  favorite 
of  P’hra  Narai. 

He  also  erected  the  famous  castle  on  the  west  of  the 
town,  on  a piece  of  ground,  near  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  which  formerly  belonged  to  a Buddhist  monastery. 

Finally,  to  keep  off  the  Birman  invaders,  he  built  a 
wall,  surmounted  along  its  whole  extent  by  a parapet, 
and  fortified  with  towers  at  regular  intervals  of  forty 
fathoms,  as  well  as  by  four  larger  ones  at  its  extremities 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  below  the  two  bridges.  Its 
gates  appear  to  have  been  twelve  or  thirteen  in  number, 
and  the  extent  of  the  southern  portion  is  fixed  at  two 
thousand  fathoms.  Suburban  villages  still  exist  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  and,  beyond  these,  the  religious  build- 
ings, which  have  been  restored,  but  which  now  display 
the  fantastic  rather  than  the  grand  style  which  distin- 
guished the  architecture  of  this  consummate  Grecian, 
whom  the  people  name  with  wonder,  — all  marvellous 
works  being  by  them  attributed  to  gods,  genii,  devils,  or 
the  “ Vicha-yen.” 


38 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


But  the  luxury  in  which  the  haughty  statesman  rev- 
elled, his  towering  ambition,  and  the  wealth  he  lav- 
ished on  his  private  abodes,  joined  to  the  lofty,  conde- 
scending air  he  assumed  toward  the  nobles,  soon  provoked 
their  jealous  murm urings  against  him  and  his  too  partial 
master ; and  when,  at  last,  the  king,  falling  ill,  repaired 
to  the  premier’s  palace  at  Lophaburee,  some  of  the  more 
disaffected  nobles,  headed  by  a natural  son  of  P’lira  Narai 
and  the  two  princes  of  Macassar,  forced  their  way  into 
the  palace  to  slay  the  monarch.  But  the  brave  old  man, 
at  a glance  divining  their  purpose,  leaped  from  his  couch 
and,  seizing  his  sword,  threw  himself  upon  it,  and  died 
as  his  assassins  entered. 

In  the  picturesque  drama  of  Siamese  history  no  figure 
appears  so  truly  noble  and  brilliant  as  this  king,  not 
merely  renowned  by  the  glory  of  his  military  exploits 
and  the  happy  success  of  his  more  peaceful  undertakings, 
but  beloved  for  his  affectionate  concern  for  the  welfare  of 
his  subjects,  his  liberality,  his  moderation,  his  modesty, 
his  indifference  to  the  formal  honors  due  to  his  royal 
state,  and  (what  is  most  rare  in  Asiatic  character)  his 
sincere  aversion  to  flattery,  his  shyness  even  toward  de- 
served and  genuine  praise. 

Turning  from  the  corpse  of  the  king,  the  baffled  regi- 
cides dashed  at  the  luxurious  apartment  where  Phaulkon 
slumbered,  as  was  his  custom  of  an  afternoon,  unattended 
save  by  his  fair  young  daughter  Constantia.  Breaking  in, 
they  tore  the  sleeping  father  from  the  arms  of  his  ago- 
nized child,  who  with  piteous  implorings  offered  her  life 
for  his,  bound  him  with  cords,  dragged  him  to  the  woods 
beyond  his  garden,  and  there,  within  sight  of  the  lovely 
little  Greek  chapel  he  had  erected  for  his  private  devo- 
tions, first  tortured  him  like  fiends,  and  then,  dispatching 
him,  flung  his  body  into  a pit.  His  daughter,  following 
them,  clung  fast  to  her  father,  and,  though  her  heart  bled 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


39 


and  her  brain  grew  numb  between  the  gashes  and  the 
groans,  she  still  cheered  him  with  her  passionate  endear- 
ments ; and,  holding  before  his  eyes  a cross  of  gold  that  al- 
ways hung  on  her  bosom,  inspired  him  to  die  like  a brave 
man  and  a Christian.  After  that  the  lovely  heroine  was 
dragged  into  slavery  and  concubinage  by  the  infamous 
Chow  Dua,  one  of  the  bloodiest  of  the  gang. 

Even  pagan  chroniclers  do  not  fail  to  render  homage  to 
so  brave  a man,  of  whom  they  tell  that  “he  bore  all  with 
a fortitude  and  defiance  that  astounded  the  monsters  who 
slew  him,  and  convinced  them  that  he  derived  his  super- 
natural courage  and  contempt  of  pain  from  the  miracu- 
lous virtues  of  his  daughter’s  golden  cross.” 

After  the  death  of  the  able  premier,  the  Birmese 
again  overran  the  land,  laying  waste  the  fields,  and  be- 
sieging the  city  of  Ayuthia  for  two  years.  Finding  they 
could  not  reduce  it  by  famine,  they  tried  flames,  and 
the  burning  is  said  to  have  lasted  two  whole  months. 
One  of  the  feudal  lords  of  Siam,  Phya  Tak,  a Chinese 
adventurer,  who  had  amassed  wealth,  and  held  the  office 
of  governor  of  the  northern  provinces  under  the  late  king, 
seeing  the  impending  ruin  of  the  country,  assembled  his 
personal  followers  and  dependants,  and  with  about  a 
thousand  hardy  and  resolute  warriors  retired  to  the  moun- 
tain fastness  of  Naghon  Najok,  whence  from  time  to  time 
he  swooped  down  to  harass  the  encampments  of  the 
Birmese,  who  were  almost  invariably  worsted  in  the 
skirmishes  he  provoked.  He  then  moved  upon  Bang- 
plasoi,  and  the  people  of  that  place  came  out  with  gifts 
of  treasure  and  hailed  him  as  their  sovereign.  Thence 
he  sailed  to  Bajong,  strengthened  his  small  force  with 
volunteers  in  great  numbers,  marched  against  Chanta- 
boon,  whose  governor  had  disputed  his  authority,  and 
executed  that  indiscreet  official ; levied  another  large 
army ; built  and  equipped  a hundred  vessels  of  war ; 


40 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  1IISTOKY. 


and  set  sail  — a part  of  his  army  preceding  him  over, 
land  — for  Kankhoa,  on  the  confines  of  Cochin  China, 
which  place  lie  brought  to  terms  in  less  than  three  hours. 
Thence  he  pushed  on  to  Cambodia,  and  arriving  there  on 
the  Siamese  Sabato,  or  Sabbath,  he  issued  a solemn  proC' 
lamation  to  his  army,  assuring  them  that  he  would  that 
evening  worship  in  the  temple  of  the  famous  emerald 
idol,  P’hra  Keau.  Every  man  was  ordered  to  arm  as  if 
for  battle,  but  to  wear  the  sacred  robe,  — white  for  the 
laity,  yellow  for  the  clergy ; and  all  the  priests  who  fol- 
lowed his  fortunes  were  required  to  lead  the  way  into 
the  grand  temple  through  the  southern  portico,  over 
which  stood  a triple-headed  tower.  Then  the  conqueror, 
having  prepared  himself  by  fasting  and  purification,  clad 
in  his  sacred  robes  and  armed  to  the  teeth,  followed  and 
made  his  words  good. 

Almost  his  first  act  was  to  send  his  ships  to  the  adja- 
cent provinces  for  supplies  of  rice  and  grain,  which  he 
dispensed  so  bountifully  to  the  famishing  people  that 
they  gratefully  accepted  his  rule. 

This  king  is  described  as  an  enthusiastic  and  indefati- 
gable warrior,  scorning  palaces,  and  only  happy  in  camp 
or  at  the  head  of  his  army.  His  people  found  in  him  a 
true  friend,  he  was  ever  kind  and  generous  to  the  poor, 
and  to  his  soldiers  he  paid  fivefold  the  rates  of  former 
reigns.  But  toward  the  nobles  he  was  haughty,  rude, 
exacting.  It  is  supposed  that  his  prime  minister,  fearing 
to  oppose  him  openly,  corrupted  his  chief  concubine,  and 
with  her  assistance  drugged  his  food ; so  that  he  was  ren- 
dered insane,  and,  imagining  himself  a god,  insisted  that 
sacrifices  and  offerings  should  be  made  to  him,  and  began 
to  levy  upon  the  nobility  for  enormous  sums,  often  put- 
ting them  to  the  torture  to  extort  treasure.  Instigated 
by  their  infuriated  lords,  the  people  now  rebelled  against 
their  lately  idolized  master,  and  attacked  him  in  his  pal- 


A SKETCH  OF  SIAMESE  HISTORY. 


41 


ace,  from  which  he  fled  by  a secret  passage  to  an  ad- 
joining monastery,  in  the  disguise  of  a priest.  But  the 
premier,  to  whom  lie  was  presently  betrayed,  bad  him 
put  to  death,  on  the  pretext  that  he  might  cause  still 
greater  scandal  and  disaster,  but  in  reality  to  establish 
himself  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  throne,  which  he 
now  usurped  under  the  title  of  P’hra-Phuthi-Chow-Lhuang, 
and  removed  the  palace  from  the  west  to  the  east  bank 
of  the  Meinam.  During  his  reign  the  Birmese  made 
several  attempts  to  invade  the  country,  but  were  invaria- 
bly repulsed  with  loss. 

This  brings  us  to  the  uneventful  reign  of  P’hen-din- 
Klang;  and  by  his  death,  in  1825,  to  the  beginning  of  the 
story  of  his  Majesty,  Malia  Mongkut,  the  late  supreme 
king,  and  my  employer,  with  whom,  in  these  pages,  we 
shall  have  much  to  do. 


IV. 


HIS  EXCELLENCY’S  HAREM  AND  HELPMEET. 

"TTT'HEN  the  Senabawdee,  or  Royal  Council,  by  ele- 

V V vating  to  the  throne  the  priest-prince  Chowfa 
Mongkut,  frustrated  the  machinations  of  the  son  of  his 
predecessor,  they  by  the  same  stroke  crushed  the  secret 
hopes  of  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse,  the  present  pre- 
mier. It  is  whispered  to  this  day  — for  no  native,  prince 
or  peasant,  may  venture  to  approach  the  subject  openly  — 
that,  on  the  day  of  coronation,  his  Excellency  retired  to  his 
private  chambers,  and  there  remained,  shut  up  with  his 
chagrin  and  grief,  for  three  days.  On  the  fourth,  arrayed 
in  his  court  robes  and  attended  by  a numerous  retinue, 
he  presented  himself  at  the  palace  to  take  part  in  the 
ceremonies  with  which  the  coronation  was  celebrated. 
The  astute  young  king,  who  in  his  priestly  character  had 
penetrated  many  state  secrets,  advanced  to  greet  him,  and 
with  the  double  purpose  of  procuring  the  adherence  and 
testing  the  fidelity  of  this  discontented  and  wavering 
son  of  his  stanch  old  champion,  the  Duke  Somdetch 
Ong  Yai,  appointed  him  on  the  spot  to  the  command  of 
the  army,  under  the  title  of  Phya  P’hra  Kralahome. 

This  flattering  distinction,  though  it  did  not  imme- 
diately beguile  him  from  his  moodiness,  for  a time  di- 
verted his  dangerous  fancies  into  channels  of  activity, 
and  he  found  a safe  expression  for  his  annoyance  in  a 
useful  restlessness.  But  after  he  had  done  more  than  any 
of  his  predecessors  to  remodel  and  perfect  the  army,  he 


HIS  excellency’s  iiarem  and  helpmeet.  43 

relapsed  into  morbid  melancholy,  from  which  he  was  once 
more  aroused  by  the  call  of  his  royal  master,  who  invited 
him  to  share  the  labors  and  the  honors  of  government  in 
the  highest  civil  office,  that  of  prime  minister.  He  ac- 
cepted, and  has  ever  since  shown  himself  prolific  in 
devices  to  augment  the  revenue,  secure  the  co-operation 
of  the  nobility,  and  confirm  his  own  power.  His  re- 
markable executive  faculty,  seconding  the  enlightened 
policy  of  the  king,  would  doubtless  have  inaugurated  a 
golden  age  for  his  country,  but  for  the  aggressive  med- 
dling of  French  diplomacy  in  the  quarrels  between  the 
princes  of  Cochin  China  and  Cambodia ; by  which  exas- 
perating measure  Siam  is  in  the  way  to  lose  one  of  her 
richest  possessions,*  and  may  in  time  become,  herself,  the 
brightest  and  most  costly  jewel  in  the  crown  of  France. 

Such  was  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse  when  I was 
first  presented  to  him : a natural  king  among  the  dusky 
forms  that  surrounded  him,  the  actual  ruler  of  that  semi- 
barbarous  realm,  and  the  prime  contriver  of  its  arbitrary 
policy.  Black,  but  comely,  robust,  and  vigorous,  neck 
short  and  thick,  nose  large  and  nostrils  wide,  eyes  inquisi- 
tive and  penetrating,  his  was  the  massive  brain  proper 
to  an  intellect  deliberate  and  systematic.  Well  found  in 
the  best  idioms  of  his  native  tongue,  he  expressed  strong, 
discriminative  thoughts  in  words  at  once  accurate  and 
abundant.  His  only  vanity  was  his  English,  with  which 
he  so  interlarded  his  native  speech,  as  often  to  impart  the 
effect  of  levity  to  ideas  that,  in  themselves,  were  grave, 
judicious,  and  impressive. 

Let  me  conduct  the  reader  into  one  of  the  saloons  of 
the  palace,  where  we  shall  find  this  intellectual  sensualist 
in  the  moral  relaxation  of  his  harem,  with  his  latest  pets 
and  playthings  about  him. 

Peering  into  a twilight,  studiously  contrived,  of  dimly- 


Carabodia. 


44  his  excellency’s  harem  and  helpmeet. 

lighted  and  suggestive  shadows,  we  discover  in  the  centre 
of  the  hall  a long  line  of  girls  with  skins  of  olive,  — crea- 
tures who  in  years  and  physical  proportions  are  yet  but 
children,  but  by  training  developed  into  women  and  ac- 
complished actresses.  There  are  some  twenty  of  them,  in 
transparent  draperies  with  golden  girdles,  their  arms  and 
bosoms,  wholly  nude,  flashing,  as  they  wave  and  heave, 
with  barbaric  ornaments  of  gold.  The  heads  are  modestly 
inclined,  the  hands  are  humbly  folded,  and  the  eyes  droop 
timidly  beneath  long  lashes.  Their  only  garment,  the 
lower  skirt,  floating  in  light  folds  about  their  limbs,  is  of 
very  costly  material  bordered  heavily  with  gold.  On  the 
ends  of  their  fingers  they  wear  long  “ nails  ” of  gold,  taper- 
ing sharply  like  the  claws  of  a bird.  The  apartment  is 
illuminated  by  means  of  candelabras,  hung  so  high  that 
the  light  falls  in  a soft  hazy  mist  on  the  tender  faces 
and  pliant  forms  below. 

Another  group  of  maidens,  comely  and  merry,  sit  be- 
hind musical  instruments,  of  so  great  variety  as  to  recall 
the  “cornet,  flute,  sackbut,  harp,  psaltery,  and  dulcimer” 
of  Scripture.  The  “ head  wife  ” of  the  premier,  earnestly 
engaged  in  creaming  her  lips,  reclines  apart  on  a dais, 
attended  by  many  waiting-women. 

From  the  folds  of  a great  curtain  a single  flute  opens 
the  entertainment  with  low  tender  strains,  and  from  the 
recesses  twelve  damsels  appear,  bearing  gold  and  silver 
fans,  with  which,  seated  in  order,  they  fan  the  central 
group. 

Now  the  dancers,  a burst  of  joyous  music  being  the 
signal,  form  in  two  lines,  and  simultaneously,  with  mili- 
tary precision,  kneel,  fold  and  raise  their  hands,  and  bow 
till  their  foreheads  touch  the  carpet  before  their  lord. 
Then  suddenly  springing  to  their  feet,  they  describe  a 
succession  of  rapid  and  intricate  circles,  tapping  the  car- 
pet with  their  toes  in  time  to  the  music.  Next  follows  a 


HIS  excellency’s  harem  and  helpmeet  45 

miracle  of  art,  such  as  may  be  found  only  among  pupils 
of  the  highest  physical  training ; a dance  in  which  every 
motion  is  poetry,  every  attitude  an  expression  of  love, 
even  rest  but  the  eloquence  of  passion  overcome  by  its 
own  fervor.  The  music  swelling  into  a rapturous  tumult 
preludes  the  choral  climax,  wherein  the  dancers,  raising 
their  delicate  feet,  and  curving  their  arms  and  fingers  in 
seemingly  impossible  flexures,  sway  like  withes  of  willow, 
and  agitate  all  the  muscles  of  the  body  like  the  fluttering 
of  leaves  in  a soft  breeze.  Their  eyes  glow  as  with  an 
inner  light ; the  soft  brown  complexion,  the  rosy  lips  half 
parted,  the  heaving  bosom,  and  the  waving  arms,  as  they 
float  round  and  round  in  wild  eddies  of  dance,  impart  to 
them  the  aspect  of  fair  young  fiends. 

And  there  sits  the  Ivralahome,  like  the  idol  of  ebony 
before  the  demon  had  entered  it ! while  around  him  these 
elfin  worshippers,  with  flushed  cheeks  and  flashing  eyes, 
tossing  arms  and  panting  bosoms,  whirl  in  their  witching 
waltz.  He  is  a man  to  be  wondered  at,  — stony  and  grim, 
his  huge  hands  resting  on  his  knees  in  statuesque  repose, 
as  though  he  supported  on  his  well-poised  head  the  whole 
weight  of  the  Malia  Mongkut  * itself,  while  at  his  feet 
these  brown  leaves  of  humanity  lie  quivering. 

Is  it  all  maya,  — delusion  ? I open  wide  my  eyes,  then 
close  them,  then  open  them  again.  There  still  lie  the 
living  puppets,  not  daring  to  look  up  to  the  face  of  their 
silent  god,  where  scorn  and  passion  contend  for  place. 
The  dim  lights,  the  shadows  blending  with  them,  the  fine 
harmony  of  colors,  the  wild  harmony  of  sounds,  the  fan- 
tastic phantoms,  the  overcoming  sentiment,  all  the  poetry 
and  the  pity  of  the  scene,  — the  formless  longing,  the  un- 
defined sense  of  wrong  ! Poor  things,  poor  things  ! 

The  prime  minister  of  Siam  enjoys  no  exemption  from 
that  mocking  law  which  condemns  the  hero  strutting  on 


* “ The  Mighty  Crown.” 


46  HIS  excellency’s  harem  and  helpmeet. 

the  stage  of  the  world  to  cut  hut  a sorry  figure  at  home. 
Toward  these  helpless  slaves  of  his  nod  his  deportment 
was  studiously  ungracious  and  mean.  No  smile  of  pleased 
surprise  or  approbation  ever  brightened  his  gloomy  coun- 
tenance. True,  the  fire  of  his  native  ardor  burns  there 
still,  but  through  no  crevice  of  the  outward  man  may  one 
catch  a glimpse  of  its  light.  Though  he  rage  as  a fiery 
furnace  within,  externally  he  is  calm  as  a lake,  too  deep 
to  be  troubled  by  the  skipping,  singing  brooks  that  flow 
into  it.  Rising  automatically,  he  abruptly  retired,  bored. 
And  those  youthful,  tender  forms,  glowing  and  panting 
there,  — in  what  glorious  robes  might  not  their  proper 
loveliness  have  arrayed  them,  if  only  their  hearts  had 
looked  upward  in  freedom,  and  not,  like  their  trained 
eyes,  downward  in  blind  homage. 

Koon  Ying  Phan  (literally,  “ The  Lady  in  One  Thou- 
sand ” ) was  the  head  wife  of  the  Premier.  He  married 
her,  after  repudiating  the  companion  of  his  more  grateful 
years,  the  mother  of  his  only  child,  a son  — the  legiti- 
macy of  whose  birth  he  doubted,  and  so,  for  a grim  jest, 
named  the  lad  My  Chi,  “ Not  So.”  He  would  have  put 
the  mother  to  death,  but  finding  no  real  grounds  for  his 
suspicion,  let  her  off  with  a public  “ putting  away.”  The 
divorced  woman,  having  nothing  left  but  her  disowned 
baby,  carefully  changed  the  My  Chi  to  Ny  Chi  ( “ Not 
So  ” to  “ Master  So  ”),  — a cunning  trick  of  pride,  but  a 
doubtful  improvement. 

Koon  Ying  Phan  had  neither  beauty  nor  grace ; but 
her  habits  were  domestic,  and  her  temper  extremely  mild. 
When  I first  knew  her  she  was  perhaps  forty  years  old, — 
stout,  heavy,  dark,  — her  only  attraction  the  gentle  ex- 
pression of  her  eyes  and  mouth.  Around  her  pretty  resi- 
dence, adjoining  the  Premier’s  palace,  bloomed  the  most 
charming  garden  I saw  in  Siam,  with  shrubberies,  fourn 


ms  excellency’s  harem  and  helpmeet.  47 

tains,  and  nooks,  designed  by  a true  artist ; though  the 
work  of  the  native  florists  is  usually  fantastic  and  gro- 
tesque, with  an  excess  of  dwarfed  trees  in  Chinese  vases. 
There  was,  besides,  a cool,  shaded  walk,  leading  to  a more 
extensive  garden,  adorned  with  curious  lattice-work,  and 
abounding  in  shrubs  of  great  variety  and  beauty.  Koon 
Ying  Phan  had  a lively  love  for  flowers,  which  she  styled 
the  children  of  her  heart ; “ for  my  lord  is  childless,”  she 
whispered. 

In  her  apartments  the  same  subdued  lights  and  mellow 
half-tints  prevailed  that  in  her  husband’s  saloons  im- 
parted a pensive  sentiment  to  the  place.  There  were 
neither  carpets  nor  mirrors ; and  the  only  articles  of  fur- 
niture were  some  sofa-beds,  low  marble  couches,  tables, 
and  a few  arm-chairs,  but  all  of  forms  antique  and  deli- 
cate. The  combined  effect  was  one  of  delicious  coolness, 
retirement,  and  repose,  even  despite  the  glaring  rays  that 
strove  to  invade  the  sweet  refuge  through  the  silken 
window-nets. 

This  lady,  to  whom  belonged  the  undivided  supervision 
of  the  premier’s  household,  was  kind  to  the  younger 
women  of  her  husband’s  harem,  in  whose  welfare  she 
manifested  a most  amiable  interest,  — living  among  them 
happily,  as  a mother  among  her  daughters,  sharing  their 
confidences,  and  often  pleading  their  cause  with  her  lord 
and  theirs,  over  whom  she  exercised  a very  cautious  but 
positive  influence. 

I learned  gladly  and  with  pride  to  admire  and  love 
this  lady,  to  accept  her  as  the  type  of  a most  precious 
truth.  For  to  behold,  even  afar  off,  “ silent  upon  a peak  ” 
of  sympathy,  the  ocean  of  love  and  pathos,  of  passion  and 
patience,  on  which  the  lives  of  these  our  pagan  sisters 
drift,  is  to  be  gratefully  sensible  of  a loving,  pitying,  and 
sufficing  Presence,  even  in  the  darkness  of  error,  super- 
stition, slavery,  and  death. 


48  HIS  excellency’s  harem  and  helpmeet. 

Shortly  after  her  marriage,  Koon  Ying  Phan,  moved 
partly  by  compassion  for  the  wrongs  of  her  predecessor, 
partly  by  the  “ aching  void  ” of  her  own  life,  adopted  the 
disowned  son  of  the  premier,  and  called  him,  with  re- 
proachful significance,  P’hra  Nah  Why,  “ the  Lord  en- 
dures.” And  her  strong  friend,  Nature,  who  had  already 
knit  together,  by  nerve  and  vein  and  bone  and  sinew, 
the  father  and  the  child,  now  came  to  her  aid,  and  united 
them  by  the  finer  but  scarcely  weaker  ties  of  habit  and 
companionship  and  home  affections. 


Y. 


THE  TEMPLES  OF  THE  SLEEPING  AND  THE 
EMERALD  IDOLS. 

THE  day  had  come  for  my  presentation  to  the  su- 
preme king.  After  much  preliminary  talk  between 
the  Kralahome  and  myself,  through  the  medium  of  the 
interpreter,  it  had  been  arranged  that  my  straightforward 

friend.  Captain  B , should  conduct  us  to  the  royal 

palace,  and  procure  the  interview.  Our  cheerful  escort 
arrived  duly,  and  we  proceeded  up  the  river,  — my  boy 
maintaining  an  ominous  silence  all  the  while,  except 
once,  when  he  shyly  confessed  he  was  afraid  to  go. 

At  the  landing  we  found  a large  party  of  priests,  some 
bathing,  some  wringing  their  yellow  garments ; graceful 
girls  balancing  on  their  heads  vessels  of  water ; others, 
less  pleasing,  carrying  bundles  of  grass,  or  baskets  of 
fruit  and  nuts  ; noblemen  in  gilded  sedans,  borne  on 
men’s  shoulders,  hurrying  toward  the  palace  ; in  the  dis- 
tance a troop  of  horsemen,  with  long  glittering  spears. 

Passing  the  covered  gangway  at  the  landing,  we  came 
upon  a clean  brick  road,  bounded  by  two  high  walls,  the 
one  on  the  left  enclosing  the  abode  of  royalty,  the  other 
the  temple  Watt  Poh,  where  reposes  in  gigantic  state 
the  wondrous  Sleeping  Idol.  Imagine  a reclining  figure 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and  forty  feet  high,  en- 
tirely overlaid  with  plate  gold  ; the  soles  of  its  monstrous 
feet  covered  with  bass-reliefs  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl 
and  chased  with  gold ; each  separate  design  distinctly 
3 D 


50 


TIIE  TEMPLES  OF  THE  SLEEPING 


representing  one  of  the  many  transmigrations  of  Buddha 
whereby  he  obtained  Niphan.  On  the  nails  are  graven 
his  divine  attributes,  ten  in  number  : 

1.  Arahang,  — Immaculate,  Pure,  Chaste. 

2.  Samma  Sam-Putho,  — Cognizant  of  the  laws  of 
Nature,  Infallible,  Unchangeable,  True. 

3.  Vicharanah  Sampanoh,  — Endowed  with  all  Knowl- 
edge, all  Science. 

4.  Lukha-tho,  — Excellence,  Perfection. 

5.  Lok-havi-tho,  — Cognizant  of  the  mystery  of  Crea- 
tion. 

6.  Annutharo,  — Inconceivably  Pure,  without  Sin. 

7.  Purisali  tham-mah  Sarathi,  — Unconquerable,  In- 
vincible, before  whom  the  angels  bow. 

8.  Sassahdah, — Father  of  Beatitude,  Teacher  of  the 
ways  to  bliss. 

9.  Poodh-tho,  — Endowed  with  boundless  Compassion, 
Pitiful,  Tender,  Loving,  Merciful,  Benevolent. 

10.  Pak-havah, — Glorious,  endowed  with  inconceivable 
Merit,  Adorable. 

Leaving  this  temple,  we  approached  a low  circular  fort 
near  the  palace,  — a miniature  model  of  a great  citadel, 
with  bastions,  battlements,  and  towers,  showing  confusedly 
over  a crenellated  wall.  Entering  by  a curious  wooden 
gate,  bossed  with  great  Hat-headed  nails,  we  reached  by 
a stony  pathway  the  stables  (or,  more  correctly,  the  pal- 
ace) of  the  White  Elephant,  where  the  huge  creature  — 
indebted  for  its  “ whiteness  ” to  tradition  rather  than  to 
nature  — is  housed  royally.  Passing  these,  we  next 
came  to  the  famous  Watt  P’lira  Keau,  or  temple  of  the 
Emerald  Idol. 

An  inner  wall  separates  this  temple  from  the  military 
depot  attached  to  the  palace ; but  it  is  connected  by  a 
secret  passage  with  the  most  private  apartments  of  Uis 
Majesty’s  harem,  which,  enclosed  on  all  sides,  is  accessi- 


AND  THE  EMERALD  IDOLS. 


51 


ble  only  to  women.  The  temple  itself  is  unquestionably 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  beautiful  structures  of 
its  class  in  the  Orient ; the  lofty  octagonal  pillars,  the 
quaint  Gothic  doors  and  windows,  the  tapering  and  gilded 
roofs,  are  carved  in  an  infinite  variety  of  emblems,  the 
lotos  and  the  palm  predominating.  The  adornment  of 
the  exterior  is  only  equalled  in  its  profusion  by  the  pic- 
torial and  hieroglyphic  embellishment  within.  The  ceil- 
ing is  covered  with  mythological  figures  and  symbols. 
Most  conspicuous  among  the  latter  are  the  luminous 
circles,  resembling  the  mystic  orb  of  the  Hindoos,  and 
representing  the  seven  constellations  known  to  the  an- 
cients ; these  revolve  round  a central  sun  in  the  form  of 
a lotos,  called  by  the  Siamese  Doh  Athit  (sun-flower),  be- 
cause it  expands  its  leaves  to  the  rising  sun  and  contracts 
them  as  he  sets.  On  the  cornices  are  displayed  the  twelve 
signs  of  the  zodiac. 

The  altar  is  a wonder  of  dimensions  and  splendor,  — a 
pyramid  one  hundred  feet  high,  terminating  in  a fine 
spire  of  gold,  and  surrounded  on  every  side  by  idols,  all 
curious  and  precious,  from  the  bijou  image  in  sapphire 
to  the  colossal  statue  in  plate  gold.  A series  of  trophies 
these,  gathered  from  the  triumphs  of  Buddhism  over  the 
proudest  forms  of  worship  in  the  old  pagan  world.  In 
the  pillars  that  surround  the  temple,  and  the  spires  that 
taper  far  aloft,  may  be  traced  types  and  emblems  bor- 
rowed from  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baalbec,  the  proud 
fane  of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  the  shrines  of  the  Delian 
Apollo  ; but  the  Brahminical  symbols  and  interpretations 
prevail.  Strange  that  it  should  be  so,  with  a sect  that 
suffered  by  the  slayings  and  the  outcastings  of  a ruthless 
persecution,  at  the  hands  of  their  Brahmin  fathers,  for  the 
cause  of  restoring  the  culture  of  that  simple  and  pure 
philosophy  which  flourished  before  pantheism ! 

The  floor  is  paved  with  diamonds  of  polished  brass. 


52 


TIIE  TEMPLES  OF  THE  SLEEPING 


which  reflect  the  light  of  tall  tapers  that  have  burned  on 
for  more  than  a hundred  years,  so  closely  is  the  sacred 
fire  watched.  The  floods  of  light  and  depths  of  shadow 
about  the  altar  are  extreme,  and  the  effect  overwhelm- 
ing. 

The  Emerald  Idol  is  about  twelve  inches  high  and 
eight  in  width.  Into  the  virgin  gold  of  which  its  hair 
and  collar  are  composed  must  have  been  stirred,  while  the 
metal  was  yet  molten,  crystals,  topazes,  sapphires,  rubies, 
onyxes,  amethysts,  and  diamonds,  — the  stones  crude,  or 
rudely  cut,"  and  blended  in  such  proportions  as  might 
enhance  to  the  utmost  imaginable  limit  the  beauty  and 
the  cost  of  the  adored  effigy.  The  combination  is  as  har- 
monious as  it  is  splendid.  No  wonder  it  is  commonly 
believed  that  Buddha  himself  alighted  on  the  spot  in  the 
form  of  a great  emerald,  and  by  a flash  of  lightning 
conjured  the  glittering  edifice  and  altar  in  an  instant 
from  the  earth,  to  house  and  throne  him  there ! 

On  either  side  of  the  eastern  entrance  — called  Patoo 
Ntjam,  “ The  Beautiful  Gate  ” — stands  a modern  statue  ; 
one  of  Saint  Peter,  with  flowing  mantle  and  sandalled 
feet,  in  an  attitude  of  sorrow,  as  when  “ he  turned  away 
his  face  and  wept  ” ; the  other  of  Ceres,  scattering  flowers. 
The  western  entrance,  which  admits  only  ladies,  is  styled 
Patoo  Thavticlali,  “ The  Angels’  Gate,”  and  is  guarded  by 
genii  of  ferocious  aspect. 

At  a later  period,  visiting  this  temple  in  company  with 
the  king  and  his  family,  I called  his  Majesty’s  attention 
to  the  statue  at  the  Beautiful  Gate,  as  that  of  a Christian 
saint  with  whose  story  he  was  not  unfamiliar.  Turning 
quickly  to  his  children,  and  addressing  them  gently,  lie 
bade  them  salute  it  reverently.  “ It  is  Mam’s  P’hra,”  * 
he  said ; whereupon  the  tribe  of  little  ones  folded  their 
hands  devoutly,  and  made  obeisance  before  the  efligy  of 
Saint  Peter. 


* Saint,  or  Lord. 


The  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple. 


AND  THE  EMERALD  IDOLS. 


53 


As  often  as  my  thought  reverts  to  this  inspiring  shrine, 
reposing  in  its  lonely  loveliness  amid  the  shadows  and 
the  silence  of  its  consecrated  groves,  I cannot  find  it  in 
my  heart  to  condemn,  however  illusive  the  object,  hut 
rather  I rejoice  to  admire  and  applaud,  the  bent  of  that 
devotion  which  could  erect  so  proud  and  beautiful  a fane 
in  the  midst  of  moral  surroundings  so  ignoble  and  un- 
lovely, — a spiritual  remembrance  perhaps  older  and 
truer  than  paganism,  ennobling  the  pagan  mind  with  the 
idea  of  an  architectural  Sabbath,  so  to  speak,  such  as  a 
heathen  may  purely  enjoy  and  a Christian  may  not  wisely 
despise. 


VI. 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 

IN  1825  a royal  prince  of  Siam  (Iris  birthright  wrested 
from  him,  and  his  life  imperilled)  took  refuge  in  a 
Buddhist  monastery  and  assumed  the  yellow  garb  of  a 
priest.  His  father,  commonly  known  as  P’hen-din-Klang, 
first  or  supreme  king  of  Siam,  had  just  died,  leaving  this 
prince,  Chowfa  Mongkut,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  lawful  heir 
to  the  crown ; for  he  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  acknowl- 
edged queen,  and  therefore  by  courtesy  and  honored  cus- 
tom, if  not  by  absolute  right,  the  legitimate  successor  to 
the  throne  of  the  P’hra-batts*  But  he  had  an  elder  half- 
brother,  who,  through  the  intrigues  of  his  mother,  had 
already  obtained  control  of  the  royal  treasury,  and  now, 
with  the  connivance,  if  not  by  the  authority,  of  the  Sena- 
bawdee,  the  Grand  Council  of  the  kingdom,  proclaimed 
himself  king.  He  had  the  grace,  however,  to  promise  his 
plundered  brother  — such  royal  promises  being  a cheap 
form  of  propitiation  in  Siam  — to  hold  the  reins  of  gov- 
ernment only  until  Chowfa  Mongkut  should  be  of  years 
and  strength  and  skill  to  manage  them.  But,  once  firmly 
seated  on  the  throne,  the  usurper  saw  in  his  patient  but 
proud  and  astute  kinsman  only  a hindrance  and  a peril  in 
the  path  of  his  own  cruder  and  fiercer  aspirations.  Hence 
the  forewarning  and  the  flight,  the  cloister  and  the  yellow 
robes.  And  so  the  usurper  continued  to  reign,  unchal- 
lenged by  any  claim  from  the  king  that  should  be,  until 


The  Golden-footed. 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


55 


March,  1851,  when,  a mortal  illness  having  overtaken 
him,  he  convoked  the  Grand  Council  of  princes  and 
nobles  around  his  couch,  and  proposed  his  favorite  son  as 
his  successor.  Then  the  safe  asses  of  the  court  kicked 
the  dying  lion  with  seven  words  of  sententious  scorn, — 
“The  crown  has  already  its  rightful  owner”;  whereupon 
the  king  literally  cursed  himself  to  death,  for  it  was 
almost  in  the  convulsion  of  his  chagrin  and  rage  that  he 
came  to  his  end,  on  the  3d  of  April. 

In  Siam  there  is  no  such  personage  as  an  heir-apparent 
to  the  throne,  in  the  definite  meaning  and  positive  value 
which  attaches  to  that  phrase  in  Europe,  — no  prince 
with  an  absolute  and  exclusive  title,  by  birth,  adoption, 
or  nomination,  to  "succeed  to  the  crown.  And  while  it  is 
true  that  the  eldest  living  son  of  a Siamese  sovereign  by 
his  queen  or  queen  consort  is  recognized  by  all  custom, 
ancient  and  modern,  as  the  'probable  successor  to  the  high 
seat  of  his  royal  sire,  lie  cannot  be  said  to  have  a clear 
and  indefeasible  right  to  it,  because  the  question  of  his 
accession  has  yet  to  be  decided  by  the  electing  voice  of 
the  Senabawdee,  in  whose  judgment  he  may  be  ineligible, 
by  reason  of  certain  physical,  mental,  or  moral  disabili- 
ties,— as  extreme  youth,  effeminacy,  imbecility,  intem- 
perance, profligacy.  Nevertheless,  the  election  is  popu- 
larly expected  to  result  in  the  choice  of  the  eldest  son  of 
the  queen,  though  an  interregnum  or  a regency  is  a con- 
tingency by  no  means  unusual. 

It  was  in  view  of  this  jurisdiction  of  the  Senabawdee, 
exercised  in  deference  to  a just  and  honored  usage,  that 
the  voice  of  the  oracle  fell  upon  the  ear  of  the  dying 
monarch  with  a disappointing  and  offensive  significance ; 
for  he  well  knew  who  was  meant  by  the  “rightful  owner” 
of  the  crown.  Hardly  had  he  breathed  his  last  when,  in 
spite  of  the  busy  intrigues  of  his  eldest  son  (whom  we 
find  described  in  the  Bangkok  Recorder  of  July  28,  1866, 


56 


THE  KING  AND  TIIE  GOVERNESS. 


as  “most  honorable  and  promising”),  in  spite  of  the 
bitter  vexation  of  his  lordship  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury 
Wongse,  so  soon  to  be  premier,  the  prince  Chowfa  Mong- 
kut  doffed  his  sacerdotal  robes,  emerged  from  his  cloister, 
and  was  crowned,  with  the  title  of  Somdetch  Phra  Para- 
mendr  Malia  Mongkut.* 

For  twenty-five  years  had  the  true  heir  to  the  throne 
of  the  P’hra-batts,  patiently  biding  his  time,  lain  perdu  in 
his  monastery,  diligently  devoting  himself  to  the  study  of 
Sanskrit,  Pali,  theology,  history,  geology,  chemistry,  and 
especially  astronomy.  He  had  been  a familiar  visitor  at 
the  houses  of  the  American  missionaries,  two  of  whom  (Dr. 
House  and  Mr.  Mattoon)  were,  throughout  his  reign  and 
life,  gratefully  revered  by  him  for  that  pleasant  and  prof- 
itable converse  which  helped  to  unlock  to  him  the  secrets 
of  European  vigor  and  advancement,  and  to  make  straight 
and  easy  the  paths  of, knowledge  he  had  started  upon. 
Not  even  the  essential  arrogance  of  his  Siamese  nature 
could  prevent  him  from  accepting  cordially  the  happy  in- 
fluences these  good  and  true  men  inspired  ; and  doubtless 
he  would  have  gone  more  than  half-way  to  meet  them, 
but  for  the  dazzle  of  the  golden  throne  in  the  distance 
which  arrested  him  midway  between  Christianity  and 
Buddhism,  between  truth  and  delusion,  between  light  and 
darkness,  between  life  and  death. 

In  the  Oriental  tongues  this  progressive  king  was 
eminently  proficient ; and  toward  priests,  preachers,  and 
teachers,  of  all  creeds,  sects,  and  sciences,  an  enlightened 
exemplar  of  tolerance.  It  was  likewise  his  peculiar 
vanity  to  pass  for  an  accomplished  English  scholar,  and 
to  this  end  he  maintained  in  his  palace  at  Bangkok  a pri- 
vate printing  establishment,  with  fonts  of  English  type, 
which,  as  may  be  perceived  presently,  he  was  at  no  loss 
to  keep  in  “ copy.”  Perhaps  it  was  the  printing-office 

* Duke,  and  royal  bearer  of  the  great  crown. 


THE  KING  AND  TIIE  GOVERNESS. 


57 


which  suggested,  quite  naturally,  an  English  governess  for 
the  Hite  of  his  wives  and  concubines,  and  their  offspring, 
— in  number  amply  adequate  to  the  constitution  of  a 
royal  school,  and  in  material  most  attractively  fresh  and 
romantic.  Happy  thought ! "Wherefore,  behold  me,  just 
after  sunset  on  a pleasant  day  in  April,  18G2,  on  the 
threshold  of  the  outer  court  of  the  Grand  Palace,  ac- 
companied by  my  own  brave  little  boy,  and  escorted  by  a 
compatriot. 

A flood  of  light  sweeping  through  the  spacious  Hall  of 
Audience  displayed  a throng  of  noblemen  in  waiting. 
None  turned  a glance,  or  seemingly  a thought,  on  us,  and, 

my  child  being  tired  and  hungry,  I urged  Captain  B 

to  present  us  without  delay.  At  once  we  mounted  the 
marble  steps,  and  entered  the  brilliant  hall  unannounced. 
Ranged  on  the  carpet  were  many  prostrate,  mute,  and  mo- 
tionless forms,  over  whose  heads  to  step  was  a temptation 
as  drolly  natural  as  it  was  dangerous.  His  Majesty  spied 
us  quickly,  and  advanced  abruptly,  petulantly  screaming, 
“ Who  ? who  ? who  ? ” 

Captain  B (who,  by  the  by,  is  a titled  nobleman  of 

Siam)  introduced  me  as  the  English  governess,  engaged  for 
the  royal  family.  The  king  shook  hands  with  us,  and  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  march  up  and  down  in  quick  step, 
putting  one  foot  before  the  other  with  mathematical  precis- 
ion, as  if  under  drill.  “ Forewarned,  forearmed  !”  my  friend 
whispered  that  I should  prepare  myself  for  a sharp  cross- 
questioning as  to  my  age,  my  husband,  children,  and  other 
strictly  personal  concerns.  Suddenly  his  Majesty,  having 
cogitated  sufficiently  in  his  peculiar  manner,  with  one  long 
final  stride  halted  in  front  of  us,  and,  pointing  straight  at 
me  with  his  forefinger,  asked,  “ How  old  shall  you  be  ? ” 

Scarcely  able  to  repress  a smile  at  a proceeding  so  ab- 
surd, and  with  my  sex’s  distaste  for  so  serious  a question, 
I demurely  replied,  “ One  hundred  and  fifty  years  old.” 

3* 


58 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


Had  I made  myself  much  younger,  he  might  have  ridi- 
culed or  assailed  me ; hut  now  he  stood  surprised  and 
embarrassed  for  a few  moments,  then  resumed  his  queer 
march  ; and  at  last,  beginning  to  perceive  the  jest,  coughed, 
laughed,  coughed  again,  and  in  a high,  sharp  key  asked, 
“ In  what  year  were  you  horned  ? ” 

Instantly  I struck  a mental  balance,  and  answered,  as 
gravely  as  I could,  “ In  1788.” 

At  this  point  the  expression  of  his  Majesty’s  face  was 

indescribably  comical.  Captain  B slipped  behind  a 

pillar  to  laugh ; but  the  king  only  coughed,  with  a sig- 
nificant emphasis  that  startled  me,  and  addressed  a few 
words  to  his  prostrate  courtiers,  who  smiled  at  the  carpet, 
— all  except  the  prime  minister,  who  turned  to  look  at 
me.  But  his  Majesty  was  not  to  be  baffled  so  : again  he 
marched  with  vigor,  and  then  returned  to  the  attack  with 
dlan. 

“ How  many  years  shall  you  be  married  ? ” 

“ For  several  years,  your  Majesty.” 

He  fell  into  a brown  study ; then,  laughing,  rushed  at 
me,  and  demanded  triumphantly : — 

“ Ha ! How  many  grandchildren  shall  you  now  have  ? 
Ha,  ha ! How  many  ? How  many  ? Ha,  ha,  ha  !” 

Of  course  we  all  laughed  with  him ; but  the  general 
hilarity  admitted  of  a variety  of  constructions. 

Then  suddenly  lie  seized  my  hand,  and  dragged  me, 
nolens  volens,  my  little  Louis  holding  fast  by  my  skirt, 
through  several  sombre  passages,  along  which  crouched 
duennas,  shrivelled  and  grotesque,  and  many  youthful 
women,  covering  their  faces,  as  if  blinded  by  the  splendor 
of  the  passing  Majesty.  At  length  he  stopped  before  one 
of  the  many-curtained  recesses,  and,  drawing  aside  the 
hangings,  disclosed  a lovely,  childlike  form.  He  stooped 
and  took  her  hand,  (she  naively  hiding  her  face),  and 
placing  it  in  mine,  said,  “ This  is  my  wife,  the  Lady  Talap. 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


59 


She  desires  to  be  educated  in  English.  She  is  as  pleas- 
ing for  her  talents  as  for  her  beauty,  and  it  is  our  pleas- 
ure to  make  her  a good  English  scholar.  You  shall  edu- 
cate her  for  me.” 

I replied  that  the  office  would  give  me  much  pleasure ; 
for  nothing  could  be  more  eloquently  winning  than  the 
modest,  timid  bearing  of  that  tender  young  creature  in 
the  presence  of  her  lord.  She  laughed  low  and  pleasantly 
as  he  translated  my  sympathetic  words  to  her,  and  seemed 
so  enraptured  with  the  graciousness  of  his  act  that  I took 
my  leave  of  her  with  a sentiment  of  profound  pity. 

He  led  me  back  by  the  way  we  had  come  ; and  now  we 
met  many  children,  who  put  my  patient  boy  to  much 
childish  torture  for  the  gratification  of  their  startled  curi- 
osity. 

“ I have  sixty-seven  children,”  said  his  Majesty,  when 
we  had  returned  to  the  Audience  Hall.  “ You  shall  edu- 
cate them,  and  as  many  of  my  wives,  likewise,  as  may 
wish  to  learn  English.  And  I have  much  correspondence 
in  which  you  must  assist  me.  And,  moreover,  I have 
much  difficulty  for  reading  and  translating  French  letters  ; 
for  French  are  fond  of  using  gloomily  deceiving  terms. 
You  must  undertake ; and  you  shall  make  all  their  murky 
sentences  and  gloomily  deceiving  propositions  clear  to  me. 
And,  furthermore,  I have  by  every  mail  foreign  letters 
whose  writing  is  not  easily  read  by  me.  You  shall  copy 
on  round  hand,  for  my  readily  perusal  thereof.” 

Nil  dcsperandum ; but  I began  by  despairing  of  my 
ability  to  accomplish  tasks  so  multifarious.  I simply 
bowed,  however,  and  so  dismissed  myself  for  that  even- 
ing. 

One  tempting  morning,  when  the  air  was  cool,  my  boy 
and  I ventured  some  distance  beyond  the  bounds  of  our 
usual  cautious  promenade,  close  to  the  palace  of  the 
premier.  Some  forty  or  fifty  carpenters,  building  boats 


60 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


under  a long  low  shed,  attracted  the  child’s  attention. 
We  tarried  awhile,  watching  their  work,  and  then  strolled 
to  a stone  bridge  hard  by,  where  we  found  a gang  of  re- 
pulsive wretches,  all  men,  coupled  by  means  of  iron 
collars  and  short  but  heavy  fetters,  in  which  they  moved 
with  difficulty,  if  not  with  positive  pain.  They  were 
carrying  stone  from  the  canal  to  the  bridge,  and  as  they 
stopped  to  deposit  their  burdens,  I observed  that  most  of 
them  lxad  hard,  defiant  faces,  though  here  and  there  were 
sad  and  gentle  eyes  that  bespoke  sympathy.  One  of 
them  approached  us,  holding  out  his  hand,  into  which 
Boy  dropped  the  few  coins  he  had.  Instantly,  with  a 
greedy  shout,  the  whole  gang  were  upon  us,  crowding  us 
on  all  sides,  wrangling,  yelling.  I was  exceedingly 
alarmed,  and  having  no  more  money  there,  knew  not 
what  to  do,  except  to  take  my  child  in  my  arms,  and 
strive  again  and  again  to  break  through  the  press ; but 
still  I fell  back  baffled,  and  sickened  by  the  insufferable 
odors  that  emanated  from  their  disgusting  persons ; and 
still  they  pressed  and  scrambled  and  screamed,  and  clanked 
their  horrid  chains.  But  behold  ! suddenly,  as  if  struck 
by  lightning,  every  man  of  them  fell  on  his  face,  and 
officers  flew  among  them  pell-mell,  swingeing  with  hard, 
heavy  thongs  the  naked  wincing  backs. 

It  was  with  a sense  of  infinite  relief  that  we  found 
ourselves  safe  in  our  rooms  at  last ; but  the  breakfast 
tasted  earthy  and  the  atmosphere  was  choking,  and  our 
very  hearts  were  parched.  At  night  Boy  lay  burning  on 
his  little  bed,  moaning  for  aiyer  snjolc  (cold  water),  while 
I fainted  for  a breath  of  fresh,  sweet  air.  But  God 
blesses  these  Eastern  prison-houses  not  at  all ; the  air 
that  visits  them  is  no  better  than  the  life  within, — 
heavy,  stifling,  stupefying.  For  relief  I betook  me  to  the 
study  of  the  Siamese  language,  an  occupation  I had  found 
very  pleasant  and  inspiring.  As  for  Boy,  who  spoke 


TIIE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


61 


Malay  fluently,  it  was  wonderful  with  what  aptness  he 
acquired  it. 

When  next  I waited  on  the  king,  I was  accom- 
panied by  the  premier’s  sister,  a fair  and  friendly  woman, 
whose  whole  stock  of  English  was,  “ Good  morning,  sir  ” ; 
and  with  this  somewhat  irrelevant  greeting,  a dozen  times 
in  an  hour,  though  the  hour  were  night,  she  relieved  her 
pent-up  feelings,  and  gave  expression  to  her  sympathy 
and  regard  for  me. 

Mr.  Hunter,  private  secretary  to  the  premier,  had  in- 
formed me,  speaking  for  his  Excellency,  that  I should 
prepare  to  enter  upon  my  duties  at  the  royal  palace 
without  delay.  Accordingly,  next  morning,  the  elder 
sister  of  the  Kralahome  came  for  us.  She  led  the  way 
to  the  river,  followed  by  slave-girls  bearing  a gold  tea- 
pot, a pretty  gold  tray  containing  two  tiny  porcelain  cups 
with  covers,  her  betel-box,  also  of  gold,  and  two  large 
fans.  When  we  were  seated  in  the  closely  covered  basket- 
boat,  she  took  up  one  of  the  books  I had  brought  with 
me,  and,  turning  over  the  leaves,  came  upon  the  alphabet; 
whereat,  with  a look  of  pleased  surprise,  she  began  re- 
peating the  letters.  I helped  her,  and  for  a while  she 
seemed  amused  and  gratified ; but  presently,  growing 
weary  of  it,  she  abruptly  closed  the  book,  and,  offering 
me  her  hand,  said,  “ Good  morning,  sir  ! ” I replied  with 
equal  cordiality,  and  I think  we  bade  each  other  good 
morning  at  least  a dozen  times  before  we  reached  the 
palace. 

We  landed  at  a showy  pavilion,  and  after  traversing 
several  covered  passages  came  to  a barrier  guarded  by 
Amazons,  to  whom  the  old  lady  was  evidently  well 
known,  for  they  threw  open  the  gate  for  us,  and  “ squat- 
ted ” till  we  passed.  A hot  walk  of  twenty  minutes 
brought  us  to  a curious  oval  door  of  polished  brass,  which 
opened  and  shut  noiselessly  in  a highly  ornate  frame. 


62 


TIIE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


This  admitted  us  to  a cool  retreat,  on  one  side  of  which 
were  several  temples  or  chapels  in  antique  styles,  and  on 
the  other  a long  dim  gallery.  On  the  marble  floor  of 
this  pavilion  a number  of  interesting  children  sat  or 
sprawled,  and  quaint  babies  slept  or  frolicked  in  their 
nurses’  arms.  It  was,  indeed,  a grateful  change  from  the 
oppressive,  irritating  heat  and  glare  through  which  we 
had  just  passed. 

The  loungers  started  up  to  greet  our  motherly  guide, 
who  humbly  prostrated  herself  before  them;  and  then 
refreshments  were  brought  in  on  large  silver  trays,  with 
covers  of  scarlet  silk  in  the  form  of  a bee-hive.  As  no 
knife  or  fork  or  spoon  was  visible,  Boy  and  I were  fain 
to  content  ourselves  with  oranges,  wherewith  we  made 
ourselves  an  unexpected  but  cheerful  show  for  the  enter- 
tainment and  edification  of  those  juvenile  spectators  of 
the  royal  family  of  Siam.  I smiled  and  held  out  my 
hand  to  them,  for  they  were,  almost  without  exception, 
attractive  children  ; but  they  shyly  shrank  from  me. 

Meanwhile  the  “ child-wife,”  to  whom  his  Majesty  had 
presented  me  at  my  first  audience,  appeared,  and  after 
saluting  profoundly  the  sister  of  the  Kralahome,  and 
conversing  with  her  for  some  minutes,  lay  down  on  the 
cool  floor,  and,  using  her  betel-box  for  a pillow,  beckoned 
to  me.  As  I approached,  and  seated  myself  beside  her, 
she  said:  “ I am  very  glad  to  see  you.  It  is  long  time  I 
not  see.  Why  you  come  so  late  ? ” to  all  of  which  she 
evidently  expected  no  reply.  I tried  baby-talk,  in  the 
hope  of  making  my  amiable  sentiments  intelligible  to  so 
infantile  a creature,  but  in  vain.  Seeing  me  disappointed 
and  embarrassed,  she  oddly  sang  a scrap  of  the  Sunday- 
school  hymn,  “ There  is  a Happy  Land,  far,  far  away  ” ; 
and  then  said,  “ I think  of  you  very  often.  In  the  begin- 
ning, God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth.” 

This  meritorious  but  disjointed  performance  was  fol- 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


63 


lowed  by  a protracted  and  trying  silence,  I sitting  patient, 
and  Boy  wondering  in  my  lap.  At  last  she  half  rose, 
and,  looking  around,  cautiously  whispered,  “ Dear  Mam 
Mattoon  ! I love  you.  I think  of  you.  Your  boy  dead, 
you  come  to  palace;  you  cry  — I love  you”  ; and  laying 
her  finger  on  her  lips,  and  her  head  on  the  betel-box 
again,  again  she  sang,  “ There  is  a Happy  Land,  far,  far 
away ! ” 

Mrs.  Mattoon  is  the  wife  of  that  good  and  true  Ameri- 
can apostle  who  has  nobly  served  the  cause  of  missions 
in  Siam  as  a co-laborer  with  the  excellent  Dr.  Samuel 
House.  While  the  wife  of  the  latter  devoted  herself  in- 
defatigably  to  the  improvement  of  schools  for  the  native 
children  whom  the  mission  had  gathered  round  it,  Mrs. 
Mattoon  shared  her  labors  by  occasionally  teaching  in  the 
palace,  which  was  for  some  time  thrown  open  to  the  la- 
dies of  her  faithful  sisterhood.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the 
blended  force  and  gentleness  of  her  character  wrought 
marvels  in  the  impressible  and  grateful  minds  to  which 
she  had  access. 

Bo  spontaneous  and  ingenuous  a tribute  of  reverence 
and  affection  from  a pagan  to  a Christian  lady  was  inex- 
pressibly charming  to  me. 

Thus  the  better  part  of  the  day  passed.  The  longer  I 
rested  dreaming  there,  the  more  enchanted  seemed  the 
world  within  those  walls.  I was  aroused  by  a slight 
noise  proceeding  from  the  covered  gallery,  whence  an  old 
lady  appeared  bearing  a candlestick  of  gold,  with  branches 
supporting  four  lighted  candles.  I afterward  learned 
that  these  were  daily  offerings,  which  the  king,  on  awa- 
kening from  Iris  forenoon  slumber,  sent  to  the  Watt  P lira 
Keau.  This  apparition  was  the  signal  for  much  stir. 
The  Lady  Talap  started  to  her  feet  and  fled,  and  we  were 
left  alone  with  the  premier’s  sister  and  the  slaves  in  wait- 
ing. The  entire  household  seemed  to  awake  on  the  in- 


64 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


stant,  as  in  the  “ Sleeping  Palace  ” of  Tennyson,  at  the 
kiss  of  the  Fairy  Prince,  — 

“Tlie  maid  and  page  renewed  their  strife  ; 

The  palace  banged,  and  buzzed,  and  clackt ; 

And  all  the  long-pent  stream  of  life 
Dashed  downward  in  a cataract.” 

A various  procession  of  women  and  children  — some 
pale  and  downcast,  others  bright  and  blooming,  more 
moody  and  hardened  — moved  in  the  one  direction ; none 
tarried  to  chat,  none  loitered  or  looked  back ; the  lord 
was  awake. 

“And  last  with  these  the  king  awoke, 

And  in  his  chair  himself  upreared, 

And  yawned,  and  rubbed  his  face,  and  spoke.” 

Presently  the  child -wife  reappeared,  — arrayed  now  in 
dark  blue  silk,  which  contrasted  well  with  the  soft  olive 
of  her  complexion,  — and  quickly  followed  the  others, 
with  a certain  anxious  alacrity  expressed  in  her  baby 
face.  I readily  guessed  that  his  Majesty  was  the  awful 
cause  of  all  this  careful  bustle,  and  began  to  feel  uneasy 
myself,  as  my  ordeal  approached.  For  an  hour  I stood 
on  thorns.  Then  there  was  a general  frantic  rush.  At- 
tendants, nurses,  slaves,  vanished  through  doors,  around 
corners,  behind  pillars,  under  stairways ; and  at  last,  pre- 
ceded by  a sharp,  “ cross  ” cough,  behold  the  king  ! 

We  found  his  Majesty  in  a less  genial  mood  than  at  my 
first  reception.  He  approached  us  coughing  loudly  and 
repeatedly,  a sufficiently  ominous  fashion  of  announcing 
himself,  which  greatly  discouraged  my  darling  boy,  who 
clung  to  me  anxiously.  He  was  followed  by  a numerous 
“ tail  ” of  women  and  children,  who  formally  prostrated 
themselves  around  him.  Shaking  hands  with  me  coldly, 
but  remarking  upon  the  beauty  of  the  child’s  hair,  half 
buried  in  the  folds  of  my  dress,  he  turned  to  the  pre- 
mier’s sister,  and  conversed  at  some  length  with  her,  she 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


65 


apparently  acquiescing  in  all  that  he  had  to  say.  He 
then  approached  me,  and  said,  in  a loud  and  domineer- 
ing tone : — 

“ It  is  our  pleasure  that  you  shall  reside  within  this 
palace  with  our  family.” 

I replied  that  it  would  he  quite  impossible  for  me  to 
do  so ; that,  being  as  yet  unable  to  speak  the  language, 
and  the  gates  being  shut  every  evening,  I should  feel  like 
an  unhappy  prisoner  in  the  palace. 

“ Where  do  you  go  every  evening  ? ” he  demanded. 
“Not  anywhere,  your  Majesty.  I am  a stranger  here.” 
“ Then  why  you  shall  object  to  the  gates  being  shut  ? ” 

“ I do  not  clearly  know,”  I replied,  with  a secret  shud- 
der at  the  idea  of  sleeping  within  those  walls  ; “ but  I 
am  afraid  I could  not  do  it.  I beg  your  Majesty  will  re- 
member that  in  your  gracious  letter  you  promised  me  * a 
residence  adjoining  the  royal  palace,’  not  within  it.” 

He  turned  and  looked  at  me,  his  face  growing  almost 
purple  with  rage.  “ I do  not  know  I have  promised.  I 
do  not  know  former  condition.  I do  not  know  anything 
but  you  are  our  servant ; and  it  is  our  pleasure  that  you 
must  live  in  this  palace,  and  — yov,  shall  obey!’  Those 
last  three  words  he  fairly  screamed. 

I trembled  in  every  limb,  and  for  some  time  knew  not 
how  to  reply.  At  length  I ventured  to  say,  “ I am  pre- 
pared to  obey  all  your  Majesty’s  commands  within  the 
obligation  of  my  duty  to  your  family,  but  beyond  that  I 
can  promise  no  obedience.” 

“You  shall  live  in  palace,”  he  roared,  — “you  shall  live 
in  palace ! I will  give  woman  slaves  to  wait  on  you. 
You  shall  commence  royal  school  in  this  pavilion  on 
Thursday  next.  That  is  the  best  day  for  such  undertak- 
ing, in  the  estimation  of  our  astrologers.” 

With  that,  he  addressed,  in  a frantic  manner,  com- 
mands, unintelligible  to  me,  to  some  of  the  old  women 


66 


THE  KING  AND  THE  GOVERNESS. 


about  the  pavilion.  My  boy  began  to  cry ; tears  filled 
my  own  eyes ; and  the  premier’s  sister,  so  kind  but  an 
hour  before,  cast  fierce  glances  at  us  both.  I turned  and 
led  my  child  toward  the  oval  brass  door.  We  heard 
voices  behind  us  crying,  “ Mam  ! Mam ! ” I turned 
again,  and  saw  the  king  beckoning  and  calling  to  me. 
I bowed  to  him  profoundly,  but  passed  on  through  the 
brass  door.  The  prime  minister’s  sister  bounced  after  us 
in  a distraction  of  excitement,  tugging  at  my  cloak,  shak- 
ing her  finger  in  my  face,  and  crying,  “ My  dee  ! my  dee!  ” * 
All  the  way  back,  in  the  boat,  and  on  the  street,  to  the 
very  door  of  my  apartments,  instead  of  her  jocund  “ Good 
morning,  sir,”  I had  nothing  but  my  dee. 

But  kings,  who  are  not  mad,  have  their  sober  second- 
thoughts  like  other  rational  people.  His  Golden-footed 
Majesty  presently  repented  him  of  his  arbitrary  “ can- 
tankerousness,” and  in  due  time  my  ultimatum  was  ac- 
cepted. 


* “Bad,  bad  I” 


VII. 


MARBLE  HALLS  AND  FISH-STALLS. 

ELL ! by  this  time  I was  awake  to  the  realities  of 


time,  place,  and  circumstance.  The  palace  and 
its  spells,  the  impracticable  despot,  the  impassible  pre- 
mier, were  not  the  phantasms  of  a witching  night,  but.  the 
hard  facts  of  noonday.  Here  were  the  very  Apollyons 
of  paganry  in  the  way,  and  only  the  Great  Hearts  of  a 
lonely  woman  and  a loving  child  to  challenge  them. 

With  a heart  heavy  with  regret  for  the  comparatively 
happy  home  I had  left  in  Malacca,  I sought  an  interview 
with  the  Kralahome,  and  told  him  (through  his  secretary, 
Mr.  Hunter)  how  impossible  it  would  be  for  me  and  my 
child  to  lodge  within  the  walls  of  the  Grand  Palace ; and 
that  he  was  bound  in  honor  to  make  good  the  conditions 
on  which  I had  been  induced  to  leave  Singapore.  At  last 
I succeeded  in  interesting  him,  and  he  accorded  me  a gra- 
cious hearing.  My  objection  to  the  palace,  as  a place  of 
residence  as  well  as  of  business,  seemed  to  strike  him  as 
reasonable  enough ; and  he  promised  to  plead  my  cause 
with  his  Majesty,  bidding  me  kindly  “give  myself  no 
further  trouble  about  the  matter,  for  he  would  make  it 


Thus  passed  a few  days  more,  while  I waited  monoto- 
nously under  the  roof  of  the  premier,  teaching  Boy, 
studying  Siamese,  paying  stated  visits  to  the  good  Koon 
Yiug  Phan,  and  suffering  tumultuous  invasions  from  my 
“intimate  enemies”  of  the  harem,  who  came  upon  us  like 


right.” 


68 


MARBLE  HALLS  AND  FISH-STALLS. 


a flight  of  locusts,  and  rarely  left  without  booty,  in  the 
shape  of  trifles  they  had  begged  of  me.  But  things  get 
themselves  done,  after  a fashion,  even  in  Siam ; and  so, 
one  morning,  came  the  slow  but  welcome  news  that  the 
king  was  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  my  living  outside  the 
palace,  that  a house  had  been  selected  for  me,  and  a mes- 
senger waited  to  conduct  me  to  it. 

Hastily  donning  our  walking-gear,  we  found  an  elderly 
man,  of  somewhat  sinister  aspect,  in  a dingy  red  coat 
with  faded  facings  of  yellow,  impatient  to  guide  us  to  our 
unimaginable  quarters.  As  we  passed  out,  we  met  the 
premier,  whose  countenance  wore  a quizzing  expression, 
which  I afterward  understood ; hut  at  the  moment  I saw 
in  it  only  the  characteristic  conundrum  that  I had  neither 
the  time  nor  the  talent  to  guess.  It  was  with  a lively 
sense  of  relief  that  I followed  our  conductor,  in  whom, 
by  a desperate  exploit  of  imagination,  I discovered  a 
promise  of  privacy  and  “home.” 

In  a long,  slender  boat,  with  a high,  uneven  covering 
of  wood,  we  stowed  ourselves  in  the  Oriental  manner,  my 
dress  and  appearance  affording  infinite  amusement  to  the 
ten  rowers  as  they  plied  their  paddles,  while  our  escort 
stood  in  the  entrance  chewing  betel,  and  looking  more  ill- 
omened  than  ever.  We  alighted  at  the  king’s  pavilion 
facing  the  river,  and  were  led,  by  a long,  circuitous,  and 
unpleasant  road,  through  two  tall  gates,  into  a street 
which,  from  the  offensive  odors  that  assailed  us,  I took  to 
be  a fish-market.  The  sun  burned,  the  air  stifled,  the 
dust  choked  us,  the  ground  blistered  our  feet ; we  were 
parching  and  suffocating,  when  our  guide  stopped  at  the 
end  of  this  most  execrable  lane,  and  signed  to  us  to  fol- 
low him  up  three  broken  steps  of  brick.  From  a pouch 
in  his  dingy  coat  he  produced  a key,  applied  it  to  a door, 
and  opened  to  us  two  small  rooms,  without  a window 
in  either,  without  a leaf  to  shade,  without  bath-closet  or 


MARBLE  HALLS  AND  FISH-STALLS. 


69 


kitchen.  And  this  was  the  residence  sumptuously  ap- 
pointed for  the  English  governess  to  the  royal  family 
of  Siam ! 

And  furnished ! and  garnished ! In  one  room,  on  a 
remnant  of  filthy  matting,  stood  the  wreck  of  a table, 
superannuated,  and  maimed  of  a leg,  but  propped  by  two 
chairs  that  with  broken  arms  sympathized  with  each 
other.  In  the  other,  a cheap  excess  of  Chinese  bedstead, 
that  took  the  whole  room  to  itself ; and  a mattress ! — a 
mutilated  epitome  of  a Lazarine  hospital. 

My  stock  of  Siamese  words  was  small,  but  strong.  I 
gratefully  recalled  the  emphatic  monosyllables  wherewith 
the  premier’s  sister  had  so  berated  me ; and  turning  upon 
the  king’s  messenger  with  her  tremendous  my  dee  ! my  dec  ! 
dashed  the  key  from  his  hand,  as,  inanely  grinning,  he 
held  it  out  to  me,  caught  my  boy  up  in  my  arms,  cleared 
the  steps  in  a bound,  and  fled  anywhere,  anywhere, 
until  I was  stopped  by  the  crowd  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  half  naked,  who  gathered  around  me,  wondering. 
Then,  remembering  my  adventure  with  the  chain-gang,  I 
was  glad  to  accept  the  protection  of  my  insulted  escort, 
and  escape  from  that  suburb  of  disgust.  All  the  way 
back  to  the  premier’s  our  guide  grinned  at  us  fiendisldy, 
whether  in  token  of  apology  or  ridicule  I knew  not ; 
and  landing  us  safely,  he  departed  to  our  great  relief,  still 
grinning. 

Straight  went  I to  the  Kralahome,  whose  shy,  inquisi- 
tive smile  was  more  and  more  provoking.  In  a few  sharp 
words  I told  him,  through  the  interpreter,  what  I thought 
of  the  lodging  provided  for  me,  and  that  nothing  should 
induce  me  to  live  in  such  a slum.  To  which,  with  cool, 
deliberate  audacity,  he  replied  that  nothing  prevented  me 
from  living  where  I was.  I started  from  the  low  seat  I 
had  taken  (in  order  to  converse  with  him  at  my  ease,  he 
sitting  on  the  floor),  and  not  without  difficulty  found 


70 


MARBLE  HALLS  AND  FISH-STALLS. 


voice  to  say  that  neither  his  palace  nor  the  den  in  the 
fish-market  would  suit  me,  and  that  I demanded  suitable 
and  independent  accommodations,  in  a respectable  neigh- 
borhood, for  myself  and  my  child.  My  rage  only  amused 
him.  Smiling  insolently,  he  rose,  bade  me,  “ Never  mind : 
it  will  be  all  right  by  and  by,”  and  retired  to  an  inner 
chamber. 

My  head  throbbed  with  pain,  my  pulse  bounded,  my 
throat  burned.  I staggered  to  my  rooms,  exhausted  and 
despairing,  there  to  lie,  for  almost  a week,  prostrated 
with  fever,  and  tortured  day  and  night  with  frightful 
fancies  and  dreams.  Beebe  and  the  gentle  Koon  Ying 
Phan  nursed  me  tenderly,  bringing  me  water,  deliciously 
cool,  in  which  the  fragrant  flower  of  the  jessamine  had 
been  steeped,  both  to  drink  and  to  bathe  my  temples. 
As  soon  as  I began  to  recover,  I caressed  the  soft  hand 
of  the  dear  pagan  lady,  and  implored  her,  partly  in  Sia- 
mese, partly  in  English,  to  intercede  for  me  with  her 
husband,  that  a decent  home  might  be  provided  for  us. 
She  assured  me,  while  she  smoothed  my  hair  and  patted 
my  cheek  as  though  I were  a helpless  child,  that  she 
would  do  her  best  with  him,  begging  me  meanwhile  to  be 
patient.  But  that  I could  not  be  ; and  I spared  no  op- 
portunity to  expostulate  with  the  premier  on  the  subject 
of  my  future  abode  and  duties,  telling  him  that  the  life 
I was  leading  under  his  roof  was  insupportable  to  me ; 
though,  indeed,  I was  not  ungrateful  for  the  many  offices 
of  affection  I received  from  the  ladies  of  his  harem,  who 
in  my  trouble  were  sympathetic  and  tender.  From  that 
time  forth  the  imperturbable  Kralahome  was  ever  cour- 
teous to  me.  Nevertheless,  when  from  time  to  time  I grew 
warm  again  on  the  irrepressible  topic,  he  would  smile 
slyly,  tap  the  ashes  from  his  pipe,  and  say,  “ Yes,  sir ! 
Never  mind,  sir ! You  not  like,  you  can  live  in  fish- 
market,  sir ! ” 


MARBLE  HALLS  AFID  FISH-STALLS. 


71 


The  apathy  and  supineness  of  these  people  oppressed 
me  intolerably.  Never  well  practised  in  patience,  I 
chafed  at  the  sang-froid  of  the  deliberate  premier. 
Without  compromising  my  dignity,  I did  much  to  enrage 
him;  but  he  bore  all  with  a nonchalance  that  was  the 
more  irritating  because  it  was  not  put  on. 

Thus  more  than  two  months  passed,  and  I had  desper- 
ately settled  down  to  my  Oriental  studies,  content  to 
snub  the  lvralahome  with  his  own  indifference,  whilst  he, 
on  the  other  hand,  blandly  ignored  our  existence,  when, 
to  my  surprise,  he  paid  me  a visit  one  afternoon,  compli- 
mented me  on  my  progress  in  the  language,  and  on  my 
‘ great  heart,” — or  chi  yai,  as  he  called  it, — and  told  me  his 
Majesty  was  highly  incensed  at  my  conduct  in  the  affair 
of  the  fisli-market,  and  that  he  had  found  me  something 
to  do.  I thanked  him  so  cordially  that  he  expressed  his 
surprise,  saying,  “ Siamese  lady  no  like  work  ; love  play, 
love  sleep.  Why  you  no  love  play  ? ” 

I assured  him  that  I liked  play  well  enough  when  I 
was  in  the  humor  for  play ; but  that  at  present  I was  not 
disposed  to  disport  myself,  being  weary  of  my  life  in  his 
palace,  and  sick  of  Siam  altogether.  He  received  my 
candor  with  his  characteristic  smile  and  a good-humored 
“ Good  by,  sir  ! ” 

Next  morning  ten  Siamese  lads  and  a little  girl  came 
to  my  room.  The  former  were  the  half-brothers,  nephews, 
and  other  “ encumbrances  ” of  the  Kralahome  ; the  latter 
their  sister,  a simple  child  of  nine  or  ten.  Surely  it  was 
with  no  snobbery  of  condescension  that  I received  these 
poor  children,  but  rather  gratefully,  as  a comfort  and  a 
wholesome  discipline. 

And  so  another  month  went  by,  and  still  I heard  noth- 
ing from  his  Majesty.  But  the  premier  began  to  interest 
me.  The  more  I saw  of  him  the  more  he  puzzled  me. 
It  was  plain  that  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him 


72 


MARBLE  HALLS  AND  FISH-STALLS. 


both  feared  and  loved  him.  He  displayed  a kind  of  pas- 
sive amiability  of  which  he  seemed  always  conscious, 
which  he  made  his  forte.  By  what  means  he  exacted 
such  prompt  obedience,  and  so  completely  controlled  a 
people  whom  he  seemed  to  drive  with  reins  so  loose  and 
careless,  was  a mystery  to  me.  But  that  his  influence 
and  the  prestige  of  his  name  penetrated  to  every  nook 
of  that  vast  yet  undeveloped  kingdom  was  the  phenom- 
enon which  slowly  but  surely  impressed  me.  I was  but 
a passing  traveller,  surveying  from  a distance  and  at  large 
that  vast  plain  of  humanity ; but  I covdd  see  that  it  was 
systematically  tilled  by  one  master  mind. 


VIII. 


OUR  HOME  IN  BANGKOK. 

EEBUKED  and  saddened,  I abandoned  my  long-cher- 
ished hope  of  a home,  and  resigned  myself  with 
no  good  grace  to  my  routine  of  study  and  instruction. 
Where  were  all  the  romantic  fancies  and  proud  anticipa- 
tions with  which  I had  accepted  the  position  of  gover- 
ness to  the  royal  family  of  Siam  ? Alas  ! in  two  squalid 
rooms  at  the  end  of  a Bangkok  fish-market.  I failed  to 
find  the  fresh  strength  and  courage  that  lay  in  the  hope 
of  improving  the  interesting  children  whose  education 
had  been  intrusted  to  me,  and  day  by  day  grew  more 
and  more  desponding,  less  and  less  equal  to  the  simple 
task  my  “mission”  had  set  me.  I was  fairly  sick  at 
heart  and  ready  to  surrender  that  morning  when  the  good 
Koon  Ying  Phan  came  unannounced  into  our  rooms  to 
tell  us  that  a tolerable  house  was  found  for  us  at  last.  I 
cannot  describe  with  what  an  access  of  joy  1 heard  the 
glad  tidings,  nor  how  I thanked  the  messenger,  nor  how  in 
a moment  I forgot  all  my  chagrin  and  repining,  and  hugged 
my  boy  and  covered  him  with  kisses.  It  was  not  until 
that  “ order  for  release  ” arrived,  that  I truly  felt  how 
offensive  and  galling  had  been  the  life  I had  led  in  the 
premier’s  palace.  It  was  with  unutterable  gladness  that 
I followed  a half-brother  of  the  Ivralahome,  Moonshee 
leading  Boy  by  the  hand,  to  our  new  house.  Passing 
several  streets,  we  entered  a walled  enclosure,  abounding 
in  broken  bricks,  stone,  lime,  mortar,  and  various  rubbish. 
4 


74 


OUR  HOME  IN  BANGKOK. 


A tall,  dingy  storehouse  occupied  one  side  of  the  wall ; 
in  the  other,  a low  door  opened  toward  the  river ; and  at 
the  farther  end  stood  the  house,  sheltered  by  a few  fine 
trees,  that,  drooping  over  the  piazza,  made  the  place  al- 
most picturesque.  On  entering,  however,  we  found  our- 
selves face  to  face  with  overpowering  filth.  Poor  Moon- 
shee  stood  aghast.  “ It  must  be  a paradise,”  he  had  said 
when  we  set  out,  “ since  the  great  Vizier  bestows  it  upon 
the  Mem  Sahib,  whom  he  delights  to  honor.”  Now  he 
cursed  his  fate,  and  reviled  all  viziers.  I turned  to  see  to 
whom  his  lamentations  were  addressed,  and  beheld  an- 
other Mohammedan  seated  on  the  floor,  and  attending 
with  an  attitude  and  air  of  devout  respect.  The  scene 
reminded  Boy  and  me  of  our  old  home,  and  we  laughed 
heartily.  On  making  a tour  of  inspection,  we  found  nine 
rooms,  some  of  them  pleasant  and  airy,  and  with  every 
“ modern  convenience  ” (though  somewhat  Oriental  as  to 
style)  of  bath,  kitchen,  etc.  It  was  clear  that  soap  and 
water  without  stint  would  do  much  here  toward  the  mak- 
ing of  a home  for  us.  Beebe  and  Boy  were  hopeful,  and 
promptly  put  a full  stop  to  the  rhetorical  outcry  of  Moon- 
shee  by  requesting  him  to  enlist  the  services  of  his  ad- 
miring friend  and  two  China  coolies  to  fetch  water.  But 
there  were  no  buckets.  With  a few  dollars  that  I gave 
him,  Moonshee,  with  all  a Moslem’s  resignation  to  any 
new  turn  in  his  fate,  departed  to  explore  for  the  required 
utensils,  while  the  brother  of  the  awful  Kralahome, 
perched  on  the  piazza  railing,  adjusted  his  anatomy  for  a 
comfortable  oversight  of  the  proceedings.  Boy,  with  his 
“pinny”  on,  ran  off  in  glee  to  make  himself  promiscu- 
ously useful,  and  I sat  down  to  plan  an  attack. 

Where  to  begin? — that  was  the  question.  It  was  such 
filthy  filth,  so  monstrous  in  quantity  and  kind,  — dirt  to  be 
stared  at,  defied,  savagely  assaulted  with  rage  and  havoc. 
Suddenly  I arose,  shook  my  head  dangerously  at  the 


OUR  HOME  IN  BANGKOK. 


75 


prime  minister’s  brother, — who,  fascinated,  had  advanced 
into  the  room,  — marched  through  a broken  door,  hung 
my  hat  and  mantle  on  a rusty  nail,  doffed  my  neat  half- 
mourning, slipped  on  an  old  wrapper,  dashed  at  the  vile 
matting  that  in  ulcerous  patches  afflicted  the  floor,  and 
began  fiercely  tearing  it  up. 

In  good  time  Moonsliee  and  his  new  friend  returned 
with  half  a dozen  buckets,  but  no  coolies;  in  place  of 
the  latter  came  a neat  and  pleasant  Siamese  lady,  Mrs. 
Hunter,  wife  of  the.premier’s  secretary,  bringing  her  slaves 
to  help,  and  some  rolls  of  fresh,  sweet  China  matting  for 
the  floor.  How  quickly  the  general  foulness  was  puri- 
fied, the  general  raggedness  repaired,  the  general  sliabbi- 
ness  made  “ good  as  new  ” ! The  floors,  that  had  been 
buried  under  immemorial  dust,  arose  again  under  the 
excavating  labors  of  the  sweepers ; and  the  walls,  that  had 
been  gory  with  expectorations  of  betel,  hid  their  “damned 
spots  ” under  innocent  veils  of  whitewash. 

Moonsliee,  who  had  evidently  been  beguiled  by  a cheap 
and  spurious  variety  of  the  wine  of  Shiraz,  and  now 
sat  maudlin  on  the  steps,  weeping  for  his  home  in  Sin- 
gapore, I despatched  peremptorily  in  search  of  Beebe, 
bedsteads,  and  boxes.  But  the  Kralahome’s  brother  had 
vanished,  doubtless  routed  by  the  brooms. 

Bright,  fresh,  fragrant  matting ; a table  neither  too  low 
to  be  pretty  nor  too  high  to  be  useful ; a couple  of  arm- 
chairs, hospitably  embracing ; a pair  of  silver  candle- 
sticks, quaint  and  homely ; a goodly  company  of  pleasant 
books  ; a piano,  just  escaping  from  its  travelling-cage, 
with  all  its  pent-up  music  in  its  bosom ; a cosey  little  cot 
clinging  to  its  ampler  mother ; a stream  of  generous  sun- 
light from  the  window  gilding  and  gladdening  all,  — be- 
hold our  home  in  Siam  ! 

I worked  exultingly  till  the  setting  sun  slanted  his 
long  shadows  across  the  piazza.  Then  came  comfortable 


76 


OUR  HOME  IN  BANGKOK. 


Beebe  with  the  soup  and  dainties  she  had  prepared  with 
the  help  of  a “ Bombay  man.”  Boy  slept  soundly  in  an 
empty  room,  overcome  by  the  spell  of  its  sudden  sweet- 
ness, his  hands  and  face  as  dirty  as  a healthy,  well-regu- 
lated boy  could  desire.  Triumphantly  I bore  him  to  his 
own  pretty  couch,  adjusted  my  hair,  resumed  my  royal 
robes  of  mauve  muslin,  and  prepared  to  queen  it  in  my 
own  palace. 

And  even  as  I stood,  smiling  at  my  own  small  grandeur, 
came  tender  memories  crowding  thick  upon  me,  — of  a 
soft,  warm  lap,  in  which  I had  once  loved  to  lay  my 
head ; of  a face,  fair,  pensive,  loving,  lovely ; of  eyes 
whose  deep  and  quiet  light  a shadow  of  unkindness  never 
crossed ; of  lips  that  sweetly  crooned  the  songs  of  a far- 
off,  happy  land;  of  a presence  full  of  comfort,  hope, 
strength,  courage,  victory,  peace,  that  perfect  harmony 
that  comes  of  perfect  faith, — a child’s  trust  in  its  mother. 

Passionately  I clasped  my  child  in  my  arms,  and  awoke 
him  with  pious  promises  that  took  the  form  of  kisses. 
Beebe,  soup,  teapot,  candlesticks,  teacups,  and  dear  faith- 
ful Bessy,  looked  on  and  smiled. 

Hardly  had  we  finished  this,  our  first  and  finest  feast, 
in  celebration  of  our  glorious  independence,  when  our  late 
guide  of  fish-market  fame,  he  of  the  seedy  red  coat  and 
faded  yellow  facings,  appeared  on  the  piazza,  saluted  us 
with  that  vacant  chuckle  and  grin  wherefrom  no  infer- 
ence could  be  drawn,  and  delivered  his  Majesty’s  order 
that  I should  now  come  to  the  school. 

Unterrified  and  deliberate,  we  lingered  yet  a little  over 
that  famous  breakfast,  then  rose,  and  prepared  to  follow 
the  mechanical  old  ape.  Boy  hugged  Bessy  fondly  by 
way  of  good-by,  and,  leaving  Beebe  on  guard,  we  went 
forth.  The  same  long,  narrow,  tall,  and  very  crank  boat 
received  us.  The  sun  was  hot  enough  to  daunt  a sepoy  ; 


OUR  HOME  IN  BANGKOK. 


77 


down  the  bare  backs  of  the  oarsmen  flowed  miniature 
Meinams  of  sweat,  as  they  tugged,  grunting,  against  the 
strong  current.  We  landed  at  the  familiar  (king’s)  pavil- 
ion, the  front  of  which  projects  into  the  river  by  a low 
portico.  The  roof,  rising  in  several  tiers,  half  shelters,  half 
bridges  the  detached  and  dilapidated  parts  of  the  struct- 
ure, which  presents  throughout  a very  ancient  aspect, 
parts  of  the  roof  having  evidently  been  renewed,  and  the 
gables  showing  traces  of  recent  repairs,  while  the  rickety 
pillars  seem  to  protest  with  groans  against  the  architec- 
tural anachronism  that  has  piled  so  many  young  heads 
upon  their  time-worn  shoulders. 


IX. 


OUK  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 

HE  fact  is  remarkable,  that  though  education  in  its 


higher  degrees  is  popularly  neglected  in  Siam,  there 
is  scarcely  a man  or  woman  in  the  empire  who  cannot 
read  and  write.  Though  a vain  people,  they  are  neither 
bigoted  nor  shallow ; and  I think  the  day  is  not  far  off 
when  the  enlightening  influences  applied  to  them,  and  ac- 
cepted through  their  willingness,  not  only  to  receive  in- 
struction from  Europeans,  but  eA’en  to  adopt  in  a measure 
their  customs  and  their  habits  of  thought,  will  raise  them 
to  the  rank  of  a superior  nation. 

The  language  of  this  people  advances  but  slowly  in 
the  direction  of  grammatical  perfection.  Like  many 
other  Oriental  tongues,  it  was  at  first  purely  monosylla- 
bic ; but  as  the  Pali  or  Sanskrit  has  been  liberally  en- 
grafted on  it,  polysyllabic  words  have  been  formed.  Its 
pronouns  and  particles  are  peculiar,  its  idioms  few  and 
simple,  its  metaphors  very  obvious.  It  is  copious  to  re- 
dundancy in  terms  expressive  of  royalty,  rank,  dignity  — 
in  fact,  a distinct  phraseology  is  required  in  addressing 
personages  of  exalted  station ; repetitions  of  word  and 
phrase  are  affected,  rather  than  shunned.  Sententious 
brevity  and  simplicity  of  expression  belong  to  the  pure 
spirit  of  the  language,  and  when  employed  impart  to  it 
much  dignity  and  beauty ; but  there  is  no  standard  of 
orthography,  nor  any  grammar,  and  but  few  rules  of  uni- 
versal application.  Every  Siamese  writer  spells  to  please 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


79 


himself,  and  the  purism  of  one  is  the  slang  or  gibberish 
of  another. 

The  Siamese  write  from  left  to  right,  the  words  running 
together  in  a line  unbroken  by  spaces,  points,  or  capitals  ; 
so  that,  as  in  ancient  Sanskrit,  an  entire  paragraph  appears 
as  one  protracted  word, 

“ That,  like  a wounded  snake,  drags  its  slow  length  along.” 

When  not  written  with  a reed  on  dark  native  paper,  the 
characters  are  engraved  with  a style  (of  brass  or  iron,  one 
end  sharp  for  writing,  the  other  flat  for  erasing)  on  palm- 
leaves  prepared  for  the  purpose. 

In  all  parts  of  the  empire  the  boys  are  taught  by 
priests  to  read,  write,  and  cipher.  Every  monastery  is 
provided  with  a library,  more  or  less  standard.  The  more 
elegant  books  are  composed  of  tablets  of  ivory,  or  of 
palmyra  leaves  delicately  prepared ; the  characters  en- 
graved on  these  are  gilt,  the  margins  and  edges  adorned 
with  heavy  gilding  or  with  flowers  in  bright  colors. 

The  literature  of  the  Siamese  deals  principally  with 
religious  topics.  The  “ Kammarakya,”  or  Buddhist  Rit- 
ual, — a work  for  the  priesthood  only,  and  therefore,  like 
others  of  the  Vinnaya,  little  known,  — contains  the  vital 
elements  of  the  Buddhist  Moral  Code,  and,  per  se,  is  per- 
fect ; on  this  point  all  writers,  whether  partial  or  captious, 
are  of  one  mind.  Spence  Hardy,  a Wesleyan  missionary, 
speaking  of  that  part  of  the  work  entitled  “ Dhamma- 
Padam,”  * which  is  freely  taught  in  the  schools  attached 
to  the  monasteries,  admits  that  a compilation  might  be 
made  from  its  precepts,  “which  in  the  purity  of  its 
ethics  could  hardly  be  equalled  from  any  other  heathen 
author.” 

M.  Laboulaye,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  members 
of  the  French  Academy,  remarks,  in  the  Debats  of  April  4, 

* Properly  Dharmiia,  — “ Footsteps  of  the  Law.” 


80 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


1853,  on  a work  known  by  the  title  of  “Dharmna  Maitri,” 
or  “ Law  of  Charity  ” : — 

“ It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  how  men,  not  aided  by 
revelation,  could  have  soared  so  high  and  approached  so 
near  the  truth.  Beside  the  five  great  commandments, — 
not  to  kill,  not  to  steal,  not  to  commit  adultery,  not  to  lie, 
not  to  get  drunk,  — every  shade  of  vice,  hypocrisy,  anger, 
pride,  suspicion,  greed,  gossip,  cruelty  to  animals,  is 
guarded  against  by  special  precepts.  Among  the  virtues 
commended  we  find,  not  only  reverence  for  parents,  care 
for  children,  submission  to  authority,  gratitude,  modera- 
tion in  time  of  prosperity,  resignation  and  fortitude  in 
time  of  trial,  equanimity  at  all  times,  but  virtues  un- 
known to  any  heathen  system  of  morality,  such  as  the 
duty  of  forgiving  insults,  and  of  rewarding  evil  with 
good.” 

All  virtues,  we  are  told,  spring  from  maitri,  and  this 
maitri  can  only  be  rendered  by  charity  and  love. 

“ I do  not  hesitate,”  says  Burnouf,  in  his  Lotus  de  la 
Bonne  Loi,  “ to  translate  by  ‘ charity  ’ the  word  maitri, 
which  expresses,  not  merely  friendship,  or  the  feeling  of 
particular  affection  which  a man  has  for  one  or  more  of  his 
fellow-creatures,  but  that  universal  feeling  which  inspires 
us  with  good-will  toward  all  men  and  a constant  willing- 
ness to  help  them.” 

I may  here  add  the  testimony  of  Barthidemy  Saint- 
Hilaire : “ I do  not  hesitate  to  add,”  he  writes,  “ that,  save 
the  Christ  alone,  there  is  not  among  the  founders  of  re- 
ligion a figure  more  pure,  more  touching,  than  that  of 
Buddha.  His  life  is  without  blemish ; his  constant 
heroism  equals  his  conviction ; and  if  the  theory  he  ex- 
tols is  false,  the  personal  examples  he  affords  are  irre- 
proachable. He  is  the  accomplished  model  of  all  the 
virtues  he  preaches ; his  abnegation,  his  charity,  his  unal- 
terable sweetness,  never  belie  themselves.  At  the  age  of 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


81 


twenty-nine  he  retires  from  the  court  of  the  king,  his 
father,  to  become  a devotee  and  a beggar.  He  silently 
prepares  his  doctrine  by  six  years  of  seclusion  and  medi- 
tation. He  propagates  it,  by  the  unaided  power  of  speech 
and  persuasion,  for  more  than  half  a century  ; and  when 
he  dies  in  the  arms  of  his  disciples,  it  is  with  the  serenity 
of  a sage  who  has  practised  goodness  all  his  life,  and 
knows  that  he  has  found  Truth.” 

Another  work,  as  sacred  and  more  mystic,  is  the  “ Para- 
jika,”  read  in  the  temples  with  closed  doors  by  the  chief 
priests  exclusively,  and  only  to  such  devotees  as  have 
entered  the  monastic  schools  for  life. 

Then  there  are  the  “ P’ra-jana  Para-mita,”  (the  “ Ac- 
complishment of  Reason,”  or  “ Transcendental  Wisdom,)” 
and  other  works  in  abstruse  philosophy.  The  “ Lalita  Vis- 
tara  ” contains  the  life  of  Buddha,  and  is  esteemed  the 
highest  authority  as  to  the  more  remarkable  events  in  the 
career  of  the  great  reformer.  The  “ Saddharma-pundi- 
kara  ” (or  pundariki  in  Ceylon),  “ The  White  Lotos  of  the 
True  Religion,”  presents  the  incidents  of  Buddha’s  life  in 
the  form  of  legend  and  fable. 

The  “ Ganda-Veyuha,”  hut  little  known,  consists  of 
remarkable  and  very  beautiful  forms  of  prayer  and 
thanksgiving,  with  psalms  of  praise  addressed  to  the 
Perfection  of  the  Infinite  and  to  the  Invisible,  by  Sakya 
Muni,  the  Buddha.  The  “Nirwana”  treats  of  the  end 
of  material  existence,  and  is  universally  read,  and  highly 
esteemed  by  Buddhists  as  a treatise  of  rare  merit. 

But  the  most  important  parts  of  the  theological  study 
of  the  Siamese  priesthood  are  found  in  a work  revered 
under  the  titles  of  “Tautras  ” and  “ Kala-Chakara,”  — that 
is,  “ Circles  of  Time,  Matter,  Space  ” ; probably  a transla- 
tion of  the  Sanskrit  symbolic  word,  Om,  “ Circle.”  There 
are  twenty-two  volumes,  treating  exclusively  of  mystics 
and  mystical  worship. 

4* 


82 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


The  libraries  of  the  monasteries  are  rich  in  works  on 
the  theory  and  practice  of  medicine ; hut  very  poor  in 
historical  hooks,  the  few  preserved  dealing  mainly  with 
the  lives  and  actions  of  Siamese  rulers,  oddly  associated 
with  the  genii  and  heroes  of  the  Hindoo  mythology. 
Like  the  early  historians  of  Greece  and  Rome,  the  writers 
are  careful  to  furnish  a particular  account  of  all  signs, 
omens,  and  predictions  relating  to  the  several  events  re- 
corded. They  possess  also  a few  translated  works  in  Chi- 
nese history. 

The  late  king  was  an  authority  on  all  questions  of  re- 
ligion, law,  and  custom,  and  was  familiar  with  the  writ- 
ings of  Pythagoras  and  Aristotle. 

The  Siamese  have  an  extravagant  fondness  for  the 
drama,  and  for  poetry  of  every  kind.  In  all  the  lyric 
form  predominates,  and  their  compositions  are  commonly 
adapted  for  instrumental  accompaniment.  Their  dramatic 
entertainments  are  mainly  musical,  combining  rudely  the 
opera  with  the  ballet,  — monotonous  singing,  and  listless, 
mechanical  dancing.  Dialogue  is  occasionally  intro- 
duced, the  favorite  subjects  being  passages  from  the  Hin- 
doo Avatars,  the  epic  “ Ramayana,”  and  the  “ Mahabha- 
rata  ” ; or  from  legends,  peculiar  to  Siam,  of  gods,  heroes, 
and  demons.  Throughout  their  literature,  mythology  is 
the  all-pervading  element ; history,  science,  arts,  customs, 
conversation,  opinion,  doctrine,  are  alike  colored  and 
flavored  with  it. 

With  so  brief'  and  meagre  a sketch  of  the  literature  of 
Siam,  I would  fain  prepare  the  reader  to  appreciate  the 
peculiarities  of  an  English  classical  school  in  the  Royal 
Palace  at  Bangkok.  In  Siam,  all  schools,  literary  socie- 
ties, monasteries,  even  factories,  all  intellectual  and  pro- 
gressive enterprises  of  whatever  nature  and  intention,  are 
opened  and  begun  on  Thursday,  “One  P’ra  Hatt”;  be- 
cause that  day  is  sacred  to  the  goddess  of  Mind  or  Wis- 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


83 


dom,  probably  the  Hindoo  Saraswati.  On  the  Thursday 
appointed  for  the  opening  of  my  classes  in  the  palace, 
one  of  the  king’s  barges  conveyed  us  across  the  Meinam. 
At  the  landing  I was  met  by  slave-girls,  who  conducted 
me  to  the  palace  through  the  gate  called  Patoo  Sap,  “ Gate 
of  Knowledge.”  Here  I was  received  by  some  Amazons, 
who  in  turn  gave  notice  to  other  slave-girls  waiting  to  es- 
cort us  to  a pavilion  — or,  more  correctly,  temple  — dedi- 
cated to  the  wives  and  daughters  of  Siam.*  The  profound 
solitude  of  this  refuge,  embowered  in  its  twilight  grove  of 
orange  and  palm  trees,  was  strangely  tranquillizing.  The 
religion  of  the  place  seemed  to  overcome  us,  as  we  waited 
among  the  tall,  gilded  pillars  of  the  temple.  On  one  side 
was  an  altar,  enriched  with  some  of  the  most  curious  and 
precious  offerings  of  art  to  be  found  in  the  East.  There 
was  a gilded  rostrum  also,  from  which  the  priests  daily 
officiated ; and  near  by,  on  the  summit  of  a curiously 
carved  trunk  of  an  old  Bho  tree/f*  the  goddess  of  Mind 
presided. 

The  floor  of  this  beautiful  temple  was  a somewhat 
gaudy  mosaic  of  variegated  marble  and  precious  stones; 
but  the  gilded  pillars,  the  friezes  that  surmounted  them, 
and  the  vaulted  roof  of  gilded  arabesques,  seemed  to  tone 
down  the  whole  to  their  own  chaste  harmony  of  design. 

In  the  centre  of  the  temple  stood  a long  table,  finely 
carved,  and  some  gilt  chairs.  The  king  and  most  of  the 
nobler  ladies  of  the  court  were  present,  with  a few  of 
the  chief  priests,  among  whom  I recognized,  for  the  first 
time,  his  Lordship  Chow  Ivhoon  Sah. 

His  Majesty  received  me  and  my  little  boy  most  kindly. 
After  an  interval  of  silence  he  clapped  his  hands  lightly, 
and  instantly  the  lower  hall  was  filled  with  female  slaves. 

* Watt  Khoon  Choom  Manda  Thai,  — “Temple  of  the  Mothers  of 
the  Free.” 

+ The  sacred  tree  under  which  Guadama  discoursed  with  his  disciples. 


84 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


A word  or  two,  dropped  from  liis  lips,  bowed  every  head 
and  dispersed  the  attendants.  But  they  presently  re- 
turned laden,  some  with  boxes  containing  books,  slates, 
pens,  pencils,  and  ink ; others  with  lighted  tapers  and 
vases  filled  with  the  white  lotos,  which  they  set  down 
before  the  gilded  chairs. 

At  a signal  from  the  king,  the  priests  chanted  a hymn 
from  the  “ P’ra-jana  Para-mita”  ;*  and  then  a burst  of 
music  announced  the  entrance  of  the  princes  and  prin- 
cesses, my  future  pupils.  They  advanced  in  the  order  of 
their  ages.  The  Princess  Ying  You  Wahlacks  (“  First- 
born among  Women”),  having  precedence,  approached 
and  prostrated  herself  before  her  royal  father,  the  others 
following  her  example.  I admired  the  beauty  of  her  skin, 
the  delicacy  of  her  form,  and  the  subdued  lustre  of  her 
dreamy  eyes.  The  king  took  her  gently  by  the  hand,  and 
presented  me  to  her,  saying  simply,  “ The  English  teacher.” 
Her  greeting  was  quiet  and  self-possessed.  Taking  both 
my  hands,  she  bowed,  and  touched  them  with  her  fore- 
head ; then,  at  a word  from  the  king,  retired  to  her  place 
on  the  right.  One  by  one,  in  like  manner,  all  the  royal 
children  were  presented  and  saluted  me ; and  the  music 
ceased. 

His  Majesty  then  spoke  briefly,  to  this  effect : “ Dear 
children,  as  this  is  to  be  an  English  school,  you  will  have 
to  learn  and  observe  the  English  modes  of  salutation,  ad- 
dress, conversation,  and  etiquette  ; and  each  and  every  one 
of  you  shall  be  at  liberty  to  sit  in  my  presence,  unless  it 
be  your  own  pleasure  not  to  do  so.”  The  children  all 
bowed,  and  touched  their  foreheads  with  their  folded 
palms,  in  acquiescence. 

Then  his  Majesty  departed  with  the  priests;  and  the 
moment  he  was  fairly  out  of  sight,  the  ladies  of  the  court 
began,  with  much  noise  and  confusion,  to  ask  questions, 


* “ Accomplishment  of  Reason,”  or Transcendental  Wisdom.” 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


85 


turn  over  the  leaves  of  books,  and  chatter  and  giggle  to- 
gether. Of  course,  no  teaching  was  possible  in  such  a 
din  ; my  young  princes  and  princesses  disappeared  in  the 
arms  of  their  nurses  and  slaves,  and  I retired  to  my 
apartments  in  the  prime  minister’s  palace.  But  the  seri- 
ous business  of  my  school  began  on  the  following  Thurs- 
day. 

On  that  day  a crowd  of  half-naked  children  followed 
me  and  my  Louis  to  the  palace  gates,  where  our  gukle 
gave  us  in  charge  to  a consequential  female  slave,  at 
whose  request  the  ponderous  portal  was  opened  barely 
wide  enough  to  admit  one  person  at  a time.  On  entering 
we  were  jealously  smitinized  by  the  Amazonian  guard, 
and  a “ high  private  ” questioned  the  propriety  of  admit- 
ting my  boy ; whereat  a general  tittering,  and  we  passed 
on.  We  advanced  through  the  noiseless  oval  door,  and 
entered  the  dim,  cool  pavilion,  in  the  centre  of  which  the 
tables  were  arranged  for  school.  Away  flew  several  ven- 
erable dames  who  had  awaited  our  arrival,  and  in  about 
an  hour  returned,  bringing  with  them  twenty-one  scions 
of  Siamese  royalty,  to  be  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of 
reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  after  the  European,  and 
especially  the  English  manner. 

It  was  not  long  before  my  scholars  were  ranged  in 
chairs  around  the  long  table,  with  Webster’s  far-famed 
spelling-books  before  them,  repeating  audibly  after  me  the 
letters  of  the  alphabet.  While  I stood  at  one  end  of  the 
table,  my  little  Louis  at  the  other,  mounted  on  a chair,  the 
better  to  command  his  division,  mimicked  me  with  a 
fidelity  of  tone  and  manner  very  quaint  and  charming. 
Patiently  his  small  finger  pointed  out  to  his  class  the 
characters  so  strange  to  them,  and  not  yet  perfectly  famil- 
iar to  himself. 

About  noon,  a number  of  young  women  were  brought 
to  me,  to  be  taught  like  the  rest.  I received  them  sym- 


86 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


pathetically,  at  the  same  time  making  a memorandum  of 
their  names  in  a hook  of  my  own.  This  created  a general 
and  lively  alarm,  which  it  was  not  in  my  power  immedi- 
ately to  allay,  my  knowledge  of  their  language  being  con- 
fined to  a few  simple  sentences ; hut  when  at  last  their 
courage  and  confidence  were  restored,  they  began  to  take 
observations  and  an  inventory  of  me  that  were  by  no 
means  agreeable.  They  fingered  my  hair  and  dress,  my 
collar,  belt,  and  rings.  One  donned  my  hat  and  cloak, 
and  made  a promenade  of  the  pavilion ; another  pounced 
upon  my  gloves  and  veil,  and  disguised  herself  in  them, 
to  the  great  delight  of  the  little  ones,  who  laughed  bois- 
terously. A grim  duenna,  who  had  heard  the  noise,  hus- 
tled Avratlifully  into  the  pavilion.  Instantly  hat,  cloak, 
veil,  gloves,  Avere  Hung  right  and  left,  and  the  young  avo- 
men  dropped  on  the  floor,  repeating  shrilly,  like  truant 
urchins  caught  in  the  act,  their  “ ba,  he,  bi,  bo.” 

One  Avho  seemed  the  infant  phenomenon  of  the  royal 
harem,  so  juvenile  and  artless  Avere  her  looks  and  Avays, 
despising  a performance  so  rudimentary  as  the  a,  b,  c,  de- 
manded to  be  steered  at  once  into  the  mid-ocean  of  the 
hook  ; but  when  I left  her  without  pilot  in  an  archipelago 
of  hard  Avords,  she  soon  showed  signals  of  distress. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  table,  bending  over  a little  prince, 
her  eyes  riveted  on  the  letters  my  boy  Avas  naming  to  her, 
stood  a pale  young  Avoman,  Avhose  aspect  Avas  dejected  and 
forlorn.  She  had  entered  unannounced  and  unnoticed,  as 
one  A\rho  had  no  interest  in  common  with  the  others ; and 
now  she  stood  apart  and  alone,  intent  only  on  mastering 
the  alphabet  Avith  the  help  of  her  small  teacher.  When 
Ave  Avere  about  to  dismiss  the  school,  she  repeated  her  les- 
son to  my  Avise  lad,  who  listened  with  imposing  gravity, 
pronounced  her  a “ very  good  child,”  and  said  she  might 
go  now.  But  Avhen  she  perceived  that  I observed  her 
curiously,  she  crouched  almost  under  the  table,  as  though 


OUR  SCHOOL  IN  THE  PALACE. 


87 


owning  she  had  no  right  to  be  there,  and  was  worthy  to 
pick  only  the  crumbs  of  knowledge  that  might  fall  from 
it.  She  was  neither  very  young  nor  pretty,  save  that  her 
dark  eyes  were  profound  and  expressive,  and  now  the 
more  interesting  by  their  touching  sadness.  Esteeming 
it  the  part  of  prudence  as  well  as  of  kindness  to  appear 
unconscious  of  her  presence,  and  so  encourage  her  to  come 
again,  I left  the  palace  without  accosting  her,  before  his 
Majesty  had  awakened  from  his  forenoon  nap.  This 
crushed  creature  had  fallen  under  the  displeasure  of  the 
king,  and  the  after  chapters  of  her  story,  which  shall  be 
related  in  their  proper  connection,  were  romantic  and 
mournful. 


X. 


MOONSHEE  AND  THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 

UR  blue  chamber  overlooked  the  attap  roofs  of  a 


long  row  of  houses,  badly  disfigured  by  the  stains 
and  wear  of  many  a wet  season,  in  which  our  next 
neighbor,  a Mohammedan  of  patriarchal  aspect  and  de- 
meanor, stored  bags  of  sugar,  waiting  for  a rise  in  the 
market.  This  worthy  paid  us  the  honor  of  a visit  every 
afternoon,  and  in  the  snug  little  eastern  chamber  conse- 
crated to  the  studies  and  meditations  of  my  Persian 
teacher  propounded  solemn  problems  from  the  Alkoran. 

Under  Moonshee’s  window  the  tops  of  houses  huddled, 
presenting  forms  more  or  less  fantastic  according  to  the 
purse  or  caprice  of  the  proprietors.  The  shrewd  old  man 
was  not  long  in  finding  tenants  for  all  these  roofs,  and 
could  even  tell  the  social  status  and  the  means  of  each. 
It  tickled  his  vanity  to  find  himself  domiciled  in  so 
aristocratic  a quarter.  Our  house  — more  Oriental  than 
European  in  its  architecture  — was  comparatively  new, 
having  been  erected  upon  the  site  of  the  old  palace,  the 
ddbris  of  which  had  furnished  the  materials  of  which  it 
was  constructed.  Among  the  loose  slabs  of  marble  and 
fragments  of  pottery  that  turned  up  with  the  promiscu- 
ous rubbish  every  day,  we  sometimes  found  surfaces  of 
stone  bearing  Siamese  or  Cambodian  inscriptions  ; others 
with  grotesque  figures  in  bass-relief,  taken  from  the  my- 
thology of  the  Hindoos.  Had  these  relics  a charm  for 
Moonshee,  and  was  he  animated  by  the  antiquarian’s  en- 


MOONSHEE  AND  THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 


89 


thusiasm,  that  he  delved  away  hour  after  hour,  unearth- 
ing, with  his  spade,  bricks  and  stones  and  tiles  and  slabs  ? 
I was  at  a loss  to  account  for  this  new  freak  in  the  old 
man  ; but  seeing  him  infatuated  with  his  eccentric  pur- 
suit, and  Boy  enraptured  over  grubs  and  snails  and  bits 
of  broken  figures,  the  resurrections  of  the  nimble  spade, 
I left  them  to  their  cheap  and  harmless  bliss. 

One  evening,  as  I sat  musing  in  the  piazza,  with  my 
book  unopened  on  my  lap,  I heard  Boy’s  clear  voice  ring- 
ing in  happy,  musical  peals  of  laughter  that  drew  me  to 
him.  On  the  edge  of  a deep  hole,  in  a corner  of  the 
compound,  sat  Moonshee,  an  effigy  of  doleful  disappoint- 
ment, and  beside  him  stood  the  lad,  clapping  his  little 
hands  and  laughing  merrily.  The  old  child  had  taken 
the  young  one  into  his  confidence,  and  by  their  joint  ex- 
ertions they  had  dug  this  hole  in  search  of  treasure  ; and 
lo  ! at  the  bottom  lay  something  that  looked  like  a rusty 
purse.  With  a long  look  and  a throbbing  heart  Moon- 
shee, after  several  empty  hauls,  had  fished  it  up  ; and  it 
was  — a toad  ! a huge,  unsightly,  yellow  toad  ! 

“ May  the  foul  fiend  fly  away  with  thee  !”  cried  the  en- 
thusiast in  his  rage,  as  he  flung  the  astonished  reptile 
back  into  the  pit,  and  sat  down  to  bewail  his  kismnt, 
while  Boy  made  merry  witli  his  groans. 

For  some  days  the  spade  was  neglected,  though  I 
observed,  from  the  cautious  drift  of  his  remarks  at 
the  conclusion  of  our  evening  lesson,  that  Moonshee’s 
thoughts  still  harped  on  hidden  treasure.  The  fervid 
imagination  of  the  child  had  uncovered  to  his  mind’s  eye 
mines  of  wealth,  awaiting  only  the  touch  of  the  magic 
spade  to  bare  their  golden  veins  to  the  needs  of  his  Mem 
Sahib  and  himself.  There  was  no  dispelling  his  golden 
visions  by  any  shock  of  hard  sense ; the  more  he  dreamed 
the  more  he  believed.  But  the  spot  ? the  right  spot  ? 
“Only  wait.” 


90 


MOONSHEE  AND  THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 


Another  week  elapsed,  and  Boy  and  I worked  harder 
than  ever  in  our  school  in  the  cool  pavilion.  I had  hung 
off’  the  dead  weight  of  my  stubborn  repinings,  and  my 
heart  was  light  again.  There  were  delightful  discoveries 
of  beauty  in  the  artless,  childish  faces  that  greeted  us 
every  morning ; and  now  the  only  wonder  was  that  I had 
been  so  slow  to  penetrate  the  secret  of  their  charm.  That 
eager,  radiant  elf,  the  Princess  Somdetch  Chow  Fa-ying,* 
the  king’s  darling  (of  whom,  by  and  by,  I shall  have  a 
sadder  tale  to  tell),  had  become  a sprite  of  sunshine  and 
gladness  amid  the  sombre  shadows  of  those  walls.  In 
her  deep,  dark,  lustrous  eyes,  her  simple,  trusting  ways, 
there  was  a springtide  of  refreshment,  a pure,  pervading 
radiance,  that  brightened  the  darkest  thing  it  touched. 
Even  the  grim  hags  of  the  harem  felt  its  influence,  and 
softened  in  her  presence. 

As  Boy  was  reciting  his  tasks  one  morning  before 
breakfast,  Moonshee  entered  the  room  with  one  of  his 
profoundest  salaams,  and  an  expression  at  once  so  earnest 
and  so  comical  that  I anxiously  asked  him  what  was  the 
matter.  Panting  alike  with  the  eagerness  of  childhood 
and  the  feebleness  of  age,  he  stammered,  “ I have  some- 
thing of  the  greatest  importance  to  confide  to  you,  Mem 
Sahib  ! Now  is  the  time  ! Now  you  shall  prove  the 
devotion  of  your  faithful  Moonshee,  who  swears  by  Allah 
not  to  touch  a grain  of  gold  without  your  leave,  in  all 
those  bursting  sacks,  if  Mem  Sahib  will  but  lend  him  ten 
ticals,  only  ten  ticals,  to  buy  a screw-driver ! ” 

“ What  in  the  world  can  you  want  with  a screw-driver, 
Moonshee  ? ” 

“ 0 Mem,  listen  to  me ! ” he  cried,  his  face  glowing 
with  the  very  rapture  of  possession  ; “ I have  discovered 
the  exact  spot  on  which  the  old  duke,  Somdetch  Ong 


* “First- Bom  of  the  Skies. 


MOONSHEE  AND  TIIE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 


91 


Yai,  expired.  It  is  a secret,  a wonderful  secret,  Mem 
Sahib ; not  a creature  in  all  Siam  knows  it.” 

“ Then  liow  came  you  hy  it,”  I inquired,  “ seeing  that 
you  know  not  one  word  of  the  language,  which  you  have 
bravely  scorned  as  unworthy  to  he  uttered  hy  the  Faith- 
ful, and  of  no  use  on  earth  but  to  confound  philosophers 
and  Moonshees  ? ” 

“ Sunnoli,  sunnoh!*  Mem  Sahib!  No  human  tongue 
revealed  it  to  me.  It  was  the  Ange  G lhh rayed. f He 
came  to  me  last  night  as  I slept,  and  said,  ‘ 0 son  ot  Jafl'ur 
Khan  ! to  your  prayers  is  granted  the  knowledge  that,  for 
all  these  years,  has  been  denied  to  Kafirs.  Arise  ! obey  ! 
and  with  humility  receive  the  treasures  reserved  for  thee, 
thou  faithful  follower  of  the  Prophet ! ’ And  so  saying 
he  struck  the  golden  palms  he  bore  in  his  hand ; and 
though  I was  now  awake,  Mem  Sahib,  I was  so  over- 
powered by  the  beauty  and  effulgence  of  his  person,  that  I 
was  as  one  about  to  die.  The  radiant  glory  of  his  wings, 
which  were  of  the  hue  of  sapphires,  blinded  my  vision ; 
I could  neither  speak  nor  see.  But  I felt  the  glow  of 
his  presence  and  heard  the  rustle  of  his  pinions,  as  once 
more  he  beat  the  golden  palms  and  cried,  ‘ Behold,  0 son 
of  Jaffur  Khan  ! behold  the  spot  where  lie  the  treasures 
of  that  haughty  Kafir  chief!  ’ I arose,  and  immediately 
the  angel  flashed  from  my  sight ; and  as  I gazed  there  ap- 
peared a luminous  golden  hen  with  six  golden  chickens, 
which  pecked  at  bits  of  blazing  coal  that,  as  they  cooled, 
became  nuggets  of  pure  gold.  When  suddenly  I beheld  a 
great  light  as  of  rooshnecs,  | and  it  burst  upon  the  spot 
where  the  hen  had  been;  and  then  all  was  darkness  again. 
Mem  Sahib,  your  servant  ran  down  and  placed  a stone 
upon  that  spot,  and  kneeling  on  that  stone,  with  his  face 
to  the  south,  repeated  his  five  Kalemahs.”  § 


* “ Listen,  listen  ! ” 
+ The  Angel  Gabriel. 


X Fire-balls. 

§ Thanksgivings. 


92 


MOONSHEE  AND  THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 


I am  ashamed  to  say  I laughed ; whereat  the  old 
man  was  so  mortified  that  he  vowed  the  next  time  the 
angel  appeared  to  him,  he  would  call  us  all  to  see.  I ac- 
cepted the  condition ; and  even  promised  that  if  I saw 
the  nuggets  of  pure  gold  that  Gabriel’s  chickens  pecked, 
I would  immediately  accommodate  him  with  the  ten 
ticals  to  invest  in  a screw-driver.  So  perfect  was  his 
faith  in  the  vision,  that  he  accepted  the  promise  with 
complete  satisfaction. 

Not  many  nights  after  this  extraordinary  apparition, 
we  were  aroused  by  Beebe  and  her  husband  calling, 
“ Awake,  awake  ! ” Thinking  the  house  was  on  fire,  I 
threw  on  my  dressing-gown  and  ran  into  the  next  room 
with  Boy  in  my  arms.  There  was  indeed  a fire,  but  it 
was  in  a distant  corner  of  the  yard.  The  night  was  dark, 
a thick  mist  rose  from  the  river,  and  the  gusty  puffs  of 
wind  that  now  and  then  swept  through  the  compound 
caused  the  wood  fire  to  flare  up  and  flicker,  casting  fitful 
and  fantastic  shadows  around.  Moonshee  stared,  with 
fixed  eyes,  expecting  every  moment  the  reappearance  of 
the  supernatural  poultry ; but  I,  being  as  yet  sceptical, 
descended  the  stairs,  followed  by  my  trembling  house- 
hold, and  approached  the  spot. 

On  a remnant  of  matting,  with  a stone  for  a pillow,  lay 
an  old  Siamese  woman  asleep.  Driven  by  the  heat  to  the 
relief  of  the  open  air,  she  had  kindled  a fire  to  keep  off 
the  mosquitoes. 

“ Now,  Moonshee,”  said  I,  “here  is  your  Angel  Gabriel. 
Don’t  you  ever  again  trouble  me  for  ticals  to  invest  in 
screw-drivers.” 


XI. 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 

HE  city  of  Bangkok  is  commonly  supposed  to  have 


inherited  the  name  of  the  ancient  capital,  Ayudia ; 
but  in  the  royal  archives,  to  which  I have  had  free  access, 
it  is  given  as  Krung  Thep’ha  Malm-Nakhon  Si-ayut-thia 
Maha-dilok  Kacha-thani,  — “ The  City  of  the  Eoyal,  In- 
vincible, and  Beautiful  Archangel.”  It  is  ramparted  with 
walls  within  and  without,  which  divide  it  into  an  inner 
and  an  outer  city,  the  inner  wall  being  thirty  feet  high,  and 
flanked  with  circular  forts  mounted  with  cannon,  making 
a respectable  show  of  defence.  Centre  of  all,  the  heart 
of  the  citadel,  is  the  grand  palace,  encompassed  by  a third 
wall,  which  encloses  only  the  royal  edifice,  the  harems, 
the  temple  of  Watt  P’hra  Keau,  and  the  Malm  P’hrasat. 

The  Malm  Phrasat  is  an  immense  structure  of  quadran- 
gular facades,  surmounted  by  a tall  spire  of  very  chaste 
and  harmonious  design.  It  is  consecrated  ; and  here  dead 
sovereigns  of  Siam  lie  in  state,  waiting  twelve  months  for 
their  cremation ; here  also  their  ashes  are  deposited,  in 
urns  of  gold,  after  that  fiery  consummation.  In  the  Malm 
Phrasat  the  supreme  king  is  crowned  and  all  court  cere- 
monies performed.  On  certain  high  holidays  and  occa- 
sions of  state,  the  high-priest  administers  here  a sort  of 
mass,  at  which  the  whole  court  attend,  even  the  chief 
ladies  of  the  harem,  who,  behind  heavy  curtains  of  silk 
and  gold  that  hang  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor,  whisper 
and  giggle  and  peep  and  chew  betel,  and  have  the  wonted 


94 


THE  WAYS  OF  TIIE  PALACE. 


little  raptures  of  their  sex  over  furtive,  piquant  glimpses  of 
the  world  ; for,  despite  the  strict  confinement  and  jealous 
surveillance  to  which  they  are  subject,  the  outer  life,  with 
all  its  bustle,  passion,  and  romance,  will  now  and  then 
steal,  like  a vagrant,  curious  ray  of  light,  into  the  heart’s 
darkness  of  these  tabooed  women,  thrilling  their  childish 
minds  with  eager  wonderment  and  formless  longings. 

Within  these  walls  lurked  lately  fugitives  of  every 
class,  profligates  from  all  quarters  of  the  city,  to  whom 
discovery  was  death ; but  here  their  “ sanctuary  ” was 
impenetrable.  Here  were  women  disguised  as  men, 
and  men  in  the  attire  of  women,  hiding  vice  of  every 
vileness  and  crime  of  every  enormity,  — at  once  the  most 
disgusting,  the  most  appalling,  and  the  most  unnatural 
that  the  heart  of  man  has  conceived.  It  was  death  in 
life,  a charnel-house  of  quick  corruption ; a place  of  gloom 
and  solitude  indeed,  wherefrom  happiness,  hope,  courage, 
liberty,  truth,  were  forever  excluded,  and  only  mother’s 
love  was  left. 

The  king  * was  the  disk  of  light  and  life  round  which 
these  strange  flies  swarmed.  Most  of  the  women  who 
composed  his  harem  were  of  gentle  blood,  — the  fairest 
of  the  daughters  of  Siamese  nobles  and  of  princes  of  the 
adjacent  tributary  states  ; the  late  queen  consort  was  his 
own  half-sister.  Beside  many  choice  Chinese  and  Indian 
girls,  purchased  annually  for  the  royal  harem  by  agents 
stationed  at  Peking,  Foo-chou,  and  different  points  in  Ben- 
gal, enormous  sums  were  offered,  year  after  year,  through 
“ solicitors  ” at  Bangkok  and  Singapore,  for  an  English 
woman  of  beauty  and  good  parentage  to  crown  the  sensa- 
tional collection  ; but  when  I took  my  leave  of  Bangkok, 
in  1868,  the  coveted  specimen  had  not  yet  appeared  in  the 

* All  that  is  here  written  applies  to  Maha  Mongkut,  the  supreme  king, 
who  died  October,  1868  ; not  to  his  successor  (and  my  pupil),  the  present 
king. 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


95 


market.  The  cunning  commissionnaircs  contrived  to  keep 
their  places  and  make  a living  by  sending  his  Majesty, 
now  and  then,  a piquant  photograph  of  some  British 
Nourmahal  of  the  period,  freshly  caught,  and  duly  shipped, 
in  good  order  for  the  harem  ; but  the  goods  never  arrived. 

Had  the  king’s  tastes  been  Gallic,  his  requisition  might 
have  been  filled.  I remember  a score  of  genuine  offers 
from  French  demoiselles,  who  enclosed  their  cartes  in 
billets  more  surprising  and  enterprising  than  any  other 
“ proposals  ” it  was  my  office  to  translate.  But  his  whim- 
sical Majesty  entertained  a lively  horror  of  French  in- 
trigue, whether  of  priests,  consuls,  or  lionnes,  and  stood 
in  vigilant  fear  of  being  beguiled,  through  one  of  these 
adventurous  sirens,  into  fathering  the  innovation  of  a 
Franco-Siamese  heir  to  the  throne  of  the  celestial  P’hra- 
batts. 

The  king,  as  well  as  most  of  the  principal  members  of 
his  household,  rose  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  imme- 
diately partook  of  a slight  repast,  served  by  the  ladies 
who  had  been  in  waiting  through  the  night ; after  which, 
attended  by  them  and  his  sisters  and  elder  children,  he 
descended  and  took  his  station  on  a long  strip  of  matting, 
laid  from  one  of  the  gates  through  all  the  avenues  to  an- 
other.  On  his  Majesty’s  left  were  ranged,  first,  his  chil- 
dren in  the  order  of  rank  ; then  the  princesses,  his  sisters; 
and,  lastly,  his  concubines,  his  maids  of  honor,  and  their 
slaves.  Before  each  was  placed  a large  silver  tray  con- 
taining offerings  of  boiled  rice,  fruit,  cakes,  and  the  seri 
leaf ; some  even  had  cigars. 

A little  after  five,  the  Patoo  Dharmina  (“  Gate  of 
Merit,”  called  by  the  populace  “Patoo  Boon”)  was  thrown 
open  and  the  Amazons  of  the  guard  drawn  up  on  either 
side.  Then  the  priests  entered,  always  by  that  gate,  — 
one  hundred  and  ninety-nine  of  them,  escorted  on  the  right 
and  left  by  men  armed  with  swords  and  clubs,  — and 


96 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  FALACE. 


as  they  entered  they  chanted : “Take  thy  meat,  but  think 
it  dust ! Eat  but  to  live,  and  but  to  know  thyself,  and 
what  thou  art  below ! And  say  withal  unto  thy  heart,  It 
is  earth  I eat,  that  to  the  earth  I may  new  life  impart.” 

Then  the  chief  priest,  who  led  the  procession,  advanced 
with  downcast  eyes  and  lowly  mien,  and  very  simply  pre- 
sented his  bowl  (slung  from  his  neck  by  a cord,  and  until 
that  moment  quite  hidden  under  the  folds  of  liis«  yellow 
robe)  to  the  members  of  the  royal  household,  who  offered 
their  fruit  or  cakes,  or  their  spoonfuls  of  rice  or  sweet- 
meats. In  like  manner  did  all  his  brethren.  If,  by  any 
chance,  one  before  whom  a tray  was  placed  was  not  ready 
and  waiting  with  an  offering,  no  priest  stopped,  but  all 
continued  to  advance  slowly,  taking  only  what  was  freely 
offered,  without  thanks  or  even  a look  of  acknowledg- 
ment, until  the  end  of  the  royal  train  was  reached,  when 
the  procession  retired,  chanting  as  before,  by  the  gate 
called  Dinn,  or,  in  the  Court  language,  Prithvi,  “ Gate  of 
Earth.” 

After  this,  the  king  and  all  his  company  repaired  to  his 
private  temple,  Watt  Sasmiras  Manda-thung*  so  called 
because  it  was  dedicated  by  his  Majesty  to  the  memory 
of  his  mother.  This  is  an  edifice  of  unique  and  charming 
beauty,  decorated  throughout  by  artists  from  Japan,  who 
have  represented  on  the  walls,  in  designs  as  diverse  and 
ingenious  as  they  are  costly,  the  numerous  metempsy- 
choses of  Buddha. 

Here  his  Majesty  ascended  alone  the  steps  of  the  altar, 
rang  a bell  to  announce  the  hour  of  devotion,  lighted  the 
consecrated  tapers,  and  offered  the  white  lotos  and  the 
roses.  Then  he  spent  an  hour  in  prayer,  and  in  reading 
texts  from  the  P’ra-jana  Para-mita  and  the  P’hra-ti-Mok- 
sha. 

This  service  over,  he  retired  for  another  nap,  attended 

* “Temple  in  Memory  of  Mother.” 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


97 


by  a fresh  detail  of  women,  — those  who  had  waited  the 
night  before  being  dismissed,  not  to  be  recalled  for  a 
month,  or  at  least  a fortnight,  save  as  a peculiar  mark 
of  preference  or  favor  to  some  one  who  had  had  the  good 
fortune  to  please  or  amuse  him ; but  most  of  that  party 
voluntarily  waited  upon  him  every  day.* 

His  Majesty  usually  passed  his  mornings  in  study,  or  in 
dictating  or  writing  English  letters  and  despatches.  His 
breakfast,  though  a repast  sufficiently  frugal  for  Oriental 
royalty,  was  served  with  awesome  forms.  In  an  ante- 
chamber adjoining  a noble  hall,  rich  in  grotesque  carvings 
and  gildings,  a throng  of  females  waited,  while  his  Maj- 
esty sat  at  a long  table,  near  which  knelt  twelve  women 
before  great  silver  trays  laden  with  twelve  varieties  of 
viands,  — soups,  meats,  game,  poultry,  fish,  vegetables, 
cakes,  jellies,  preserves,  sauces,  fruits,  and  teas.  Each 
tray,  in  its  order,  was  passed  by  three  ladies  to  the  head 
wife  or  concubine,  who  removed  the  silver  covers,  and  at 
least  seemed  to  taste  the  contents  of  each  dish ; and  then, 
advancing  on  her  knees,  she  set  them  on  the  long  table 
before  the  king. 

But  his  Majesty  was  notably  temperate  in  his  diet,  and 
by  no  means  a gastronome.  In  his  long  seclusion  in  a 
Buddhist  cloister  he  had  acquired  habits  of  severe  sim- 
plicity and  frugality,  as  a preparation  for  the  exercise  of 
those  powers  of  mental  concentration  for  which  he  was 
remarkable.  At  these  morning  repasts  it  was  his  custom 
to  detain  me  in  conversation  relating  to  some  topic  of  in- 
terest derived  from  his  studies,  or  in  reading  or  translat- 
ing. He  was  more  systematically  educated,  and  a more 
capacious  devourer  of  books  and  news,  than  perhaps  any 
man  of  equal  rank  in  our  day.  But  much  learning  had 
made  him  morally  mad  ; his  extensive  reading  had  engen- 
dered in  his  mind  an  extreme  scepticism  concerning  all 
existing  religious  systems.  In  inborn  integrity  and  stead: 

5 G 


98 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


fast  principle  he  had  no  faith  whatever.  He  sincerely- 
believed  that  every  man  strove  to  compass  his  own  ends, 
per  fas  et  nefas.  The  mens  sibi  conscia  recti  was  to  him 
an  hallucination,  for  which  he  entertained  profound  con- 
tempt; and  he  honestly  pitied  the  delusion  that  pinned 
its  faitli  on  human  truth  and  virtue.  He  was  a provok- 
ing melange  of  antiquarian  attainments  and  modern  scep- 
ticism. When,  sometimes,  I ventured  to  disabuse  his 
mind  of  his  darling  scorn  for  motive  and  responsibility,  I 
had  the  mortification  to  discover  that  I had  but  helped 
him  to  an  argument  against  myself : it  was  simply  “ my 
peculiar  interest  to  do  so.”  Money,  money,  money  ! that 
could  procure  anything. 

But  aside  from  the  too  manifest  bias  of  his  early  edu- 
cation and  experience,  it  is  due  to  his  memory  to  say  that 
liis  practice  was  less  faithless  than  his  profession,  toward 
those  persons  and  principles  to  which  lie  was  attracted  by 
a just  regard.  In  many  grave  considerations  he  displayed 
soundness  of  understanding  and  clearness  of  judgment, — 
a genuine  nobility  of  mind,  established  upon  universal 
ethics  and  philosophic  reason,  — where  his  passions  were 
not  dominant ; but  when  these  broke  in  between  the  man 
and  the  majesty,  they  effectually  barred  his  advance  in 
the  direction  of  true  greatness ; beyond  them  he  could  not, 
or  would  not,  make  way. 

Ah,  if  this  man  could  but  have  cast  off  the  cramping 
yoke  of  his  intellectual  egotism,  and  been  loyal  to  the  free 
government  of  his  own  true  heart,  what  a demi-god  might 
he  not  have  been  among  the  lower  animals  of  Asiatic 
royalty ! 

At  two  o’clock  he  bestirred  himself,  and  with  the  aid 
of  his  women  bathed  and  anointed  his  person.  Then  he 
descended  to  a breakfast-chamber,  where  he  was  served 
with  the  most  substantial  meal  of  the  day.  Here  he 
chatted  with  his  favorites  among  the  wives  and  concu- 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


99 


bines,  and  caressed  his  children,  taking  them  in  his  arms, 
embracing  them,  plying  them  with  puzzling  or  funny 
questions,  and  making  droll  faces  at  the  babies : the  more 
agreeable  the  mother,  the  dearer  the  child.  The  love  of 
children  was  the  constant  and  hearty  virtue  of  this  for- 
lorn despot.  They  appealed  to  him  by  their  beauty  and 
their  trustfulness,  they  refreshed  him  with  the  bold  inno- 
cence of  their  ways,  so  frolicsome,  graceful,  and  quaint. 

From  this  delusive  scene  of  domestic  condescension 
and  kindliness  he  passed  to  his  Hall  of  Audience  to  con- 
sider official  matters.  Twice  a week  at  sunset  he  ap- 
peared at  one  of  the  gates  of  the  palace  to  hear  the  com- 
plaints and  petitions  of  the  poorest  of  his  subjects,  who 
at  no  other  time  or  place  could  reach  his  ear.  It  was 
most  pitiful  to  see  the  helpless,  awe-stricken  wretches, 
prostrate  and  abject  as  toads,  many  too  terrified  to  present 
the  precious  petition  after  all. 

At  nine  he  retired  to  his  private  apartments,  whence 
issued  immediately  peculiar  domestic  bulletins,  in  which 
were  named  the  women  whose  presence  he  particularly 
desired,  in  addition  to  those  whose  turn  it  was  to  “ wait  ” 
that  night. 

And  twice  a week  he  held  a secret  council,  or  court,  at 
midnight.  Of  the  proceedings  of  those  dark  and  terrify- 
ing sittings  I can,  of  course,  give  no  exact  account.  I 
permit  myself  to  speak  only  of  those  things  which  were 
but  too  plain  to  one  who  lived  for  six  years  in  or  near  the 
palace. 

In  Siam,  the  king — Maha  Mongkut  especially  — is  not 
merely  enthroned,  he  is  enshrined.  To  the  nobility  he  is 
omnipotence,  and  to  the  rabble  mystery.  Since  the  occu- 
pation of  the  country  by  the  Jesuits,  many  foreigners 
have  fancied  that  the  government  is  becoming  more  and 
more  silent,  insidious,  secretive ; and  that  this  midnight 
council  is  but  the  expression  of  a “ policy  of  stifling.”  It 


100 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


is  an  inquisition,  — not  overt,  audacious,  like  that  of 
Rome,  but  nocturnal,  invisible,  subtle,  ubiquitous,  like 
that  of  Spain  ; proceeding  without  witnesses  or  warning ; 
kidnapping  a subject,  not  arresting  him,  and  then  incar- 
cerating, chaining,  torturing  him,  to  extort  confession  or 
denunciation.  If  any  Siamese  citizen  utter  one  word 
against  the  “ San  Luang,”  (the  royal  judges),  and  escape, 
forthwith  his  house  is  sacked  and  his  wife  and  children 
kidnapped.  Should  he  be  captured,  he  is  brought  to 
secret  trial,  to  which  no  one  is  admitted  who  is  not  in 
the  patronage  and  confidence  of  the  royal  judges.  In 
themselves  the  laws  are  tolerable  ; but  in  their  opera- 
tion they  are  frustrated  or  circumvented  by  arbitrary 
and  capricious  power  in  the  king,  or  craft  or  cruelty 
in  the  Council.  No  one  not  initiated  in  the  mystic 
stances  of  the  San  Luang  can  depend  upon  Siamese 
law  for  justice.  No  man  will  consent  to  appear  there, 
even  as  a true  witness,  save  for  large  reward.  The  citi- 
zen who  would  enjoy,  safe  from  legal  plunder,  his  private 
income,  must  be  careful  to  find  a patron  and  protector  in 
the  king,  the  prime  minister,  or  some  other  formidable 
friend  at  court.  Spies  in  the  employ  of  the  San  Luang 
penetrate  into  every  family  of  wealth  and  influence.  Ev- 
ery citizen  suspects  and  fears  always  his  neighbor,  some- 
times his  wife.  On  more  than  one  occasion  when,  vexed 
by  some  act  of  the  king’s,  more  than  usually  wanton  and 
unjust,  I instinctively  gave  expression  to  my  feelings  by 
word  or  look  in  the  presence  of  certain  officers  and  cour- 
tiers, I observed  that  they  rapped,  or  tapped,  in  a pecu- 
liar and  stealthy  manner.  This  I afterward  discovered 
was  one  of  the  secret  signs  of  the  San  Luang ; and  the 
warning  signal  was  addressed  to  me,  because  they  ima- 
gined that  I also  was  a member  of  the  Council. 

En  passant,  a word  as  to  the  ordinary  and  familiar 
costumes  of  the  palace.  Men  and  women  alike  wTear  a sort 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PALACE. 


101 


of  kilt,  like  the  pu’sho  of  the  Birmans,  with  a short  upper 
tunic,  over  which  the  women  draw  a broad  silk  scarf, 
which  is  closely  bound  round  the  chest  and  descends  in 
long,  waving  folds  almost  to  the  feet.  Neither  sex  wears 
any  covering  on  the  head.  The  uniform  of  the  Amazons 
of  the  harem  is  green  and  gold,  and  for  the  soldiers  scarlet 
and  purple. 

There  are  usually  four  meals  : breakfast  about  sunrise ; 
a sort  of  tiffin  at  noon ; a more  substantial  repast  in  the 
afternoon  ; and  supper  after  the  business  of  the  day  is 
over.  Wine  and  tea  are  drunk  freely,  and  perfumed 
liquors  are  used  by  the  wealthy.  An  indispensable  prep- 
aration for  polite  repast  is  by  bathing  and  anointing 
the  body.  When  guests  are  invited,  the  sexes  are  never 
brought  together ; for  Siamese  women  of  rank  very  rarely 
appear  in  strange  company ; they  are  confined  to  remote 
and  unapproachable  halls  and  chambers,  where  nothing 
human,  being  male,  may  ever  enter.  The  convivial  en- 
tertainments of  the  Court  are  usually  given  on  occasions 
of  public  devotion,  and  form  a part  of  these. 


XII. 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


S,  month  after  month,  I continued  to  teach  in  the 


palace,  — especially  as  the  language  of  my  pupils, 
its  idioms  and  characteristic  forms  of  expression,  began  to 
he  familiar  to  me,  — aU  the  dim  life  of  the  place  “came 
out  ” to  my  ken,  like  a faint  picture,  which  at  first  dis- 
plays to  the  eye  only  a formless  confusion,  a chaos  of 
colors,  but  by  force  of  much  looking  and  tracing  and  join- 
ing and  separating,  first  objects  and  then  groups  are  dis- 
covered in  their  proper  identity  and  relation,  until  the 
whole  stands  out,  clear,  true,  and  informing  in  its  cohe- 
rent significance  of  light  and  shade.  Thus,  by  slow  pro- 
cesses, as  one  whose  sight  has  been  imperceptibly  restored, 
I awoke  to  a clearer  and  truer  sense  of  the  life  within 
“ the  city  of  the  beautiful  and  invincible  angel.” 

Sitting  at  one  end  of  the  table  in  my  school-room,  with 
Boy  at  the  other,  and  all  those  far-off  faces  between,  I felt 
as  though  we  were  twenty  thousand  miles  away  from  the 
world  that  lay  but  a twenty  minutes’  walk  from  the  door ; 
the  distance  was  but  a speck  in  space,  but  the  separation 
was  tremendous.  It  always  seemed  to  me  that  here  was 
a sudden,  harsh  suspension  of  nature’s  fundamental  law, 
• — the  human  heart  arrested  in  its  functions,  ceasing  to 
throb,  and  yet  alive. 

The  fields  beyond  are  fresh  and  green,  and  bright  with 
flowers.  The  sun  of  summer,  rising  exultant,  greets  them 
with  rejoicing ; and  evening  shadows,  faUing  soft  among 


of  a Princes 


Presentation 


I 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


103 


the  dewy  petals,  linger  to  kiss  them  good-night.  There 
the  children  of  the  poor  — naked,  rude,  neglected  though 
they  be  — are  rich  in  the  freedom  of  the  bounteous  earth, 
rich  in  the  freedom  of  the  fair  blue  sky,  rich  in  the  free- 
dom of  the  limpid  ocean  of  air  above  and  around  them. 
But  within  the  close  and  gloomy  lanes  of  this  city  within 
a city,  through  which  many  lovely  women  are  wont  to 
come  and  go,  many  little  feet  to  patter,  and  many  baby 
citizens  to  be  borne  in  the  arms  of  their  dodging  slaves, 
there  is  but  cloud  and  chill,  and  famishing  and  stinting, 
and  beating  of  wings  against  golden  bars.  In  the  order 
of  nature,  evening  melts  softly  into  night,  and  darkness 
retreats  with  dignity  and  grace  before  the  advancing  tri- 
umphs of  the  morning ; but  here  light  and  darkness  are 
monstrously  mixed,  and  the  result  is  a glaring  gloom  that 
is  neither  of  the  day  nor  of  the  night,  nor  of  life  nor  of 
death,  nor  of  earth  nor  of  — yes,  hell ! 

In  the  long  galleries  and  corridors,  bewildering  with 
their  everlasting  twilight  of  the  eye  and  of  the  mind, 
one  is  forever  coming  upon  shocks  of  sudden  sunshine  or 
shocks  of  sudden  shadow,  — the  smile  yet  dimpling  in  a 
baby’s  face,  a sister  bearing  a brother’s  scourging ; a 
mother  singing  to  her  "sacred  infant,”*  a slave  sobbing 
before  a deaf  idol.  And  0,  the  forlornness  of  it  all ! 
You  who  have  never  beheld  these  things  know  not  the 
utterness  of  loneliness.  Compared  with  the  predicament 
of  some  who  were  my  daily  companions,  the  sea  were  a 
home  and  an  iceberg  a hearth. 

How  I have  pitied  those  ill-fated  sisters  of  mine,  im- 
prisoned without  a crime ! If  they  could  but  have  re- 
joiced once  more  in  the  freedom  of  the  fields  and  woods, 
what  new  births  of  gladness  might  have  been  theirs,  — 
they  who  with  a gasp  of  despair  and  moral  death  first  en- 
tered those  royal  dungeons,  never  again  to  come  forth 


Phra-ong. 


104  SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 

alive  ! And  yet  have  I known  more  than  one  among  them 
who  accepted  her  fate  with  a repose  of  manner  and  a 
sweetness  of  smile  that  told  how  dead  must  be  the  heart 
under  that  still  exterior.  And  I wondered  at  the  sight. 
Only  twenty  minutes  between  bondage  and  freedom, — 
such  freedom  as  may  be  found  in  Siam  ! only  twenty  min- 
utes between  those  gloomy,  hateful  cells  and  the  fair 
fields  and  the  radiant  skies  ! only  twenty  minutes  between 
the  cramping  and  the  suffocation  and  the  fear,  and  the 
full,  deep,  glorious  inspirations  of  freedom  and  safety ! 

I had  never  beheld  misery  till  I found  it  here ; I had 
never  looked  upon  the  sickening  hideousness  of  slavery 
till  I encountered  its  features  here ; nor,  above  all,  had  I 
comprehended  the  perfection  of  the  life,  light,  blessedness 
and  beauty,  the  all-sufficing  fulness  of  the  love  of  God 
as  it  is  in  J esus,  until  I felt  the  contrast  here,  — pain,  de- 
formity, darkness,  death,  and  eternal  emptiness,  a dark- 
ness to  which  there  is  neither  beginning  nor  end,  a living 
which  is  neither  of  this  world  nor  of  the  next.  The  misery 
which  checks  the  pulse  and  thrills  the  heart  with  pity  in 
one’s  common  walks  about  the  great  cities  of  Europe  is 
hardly  so  saddening  as  the  nameless,  mocking  wretched- 
ness of  these  women,  to  whom  poverty  were  a luxury, 
and  houselessness  as  a draught  of  pure,  free  air. 

And  yet  their  lot  is  light  indeed  compared  with  that  of 
their  children.  The  single  aim  of  such  a hapless  mother, 
howsoever  tender  and  devoted  she  may  by  nature  be,  is  to 
form  her  child  after  the  one  strict  pattern  her  fate  has  set 
her,  — her  master’s  will ; since,  otherwise,  she  dare  not 
contemplate  the  perils  which  might  overtake  her  treas- 
ure. Pitiful  indeed,  therefore,  is  the  pitiless  inflexibility 
of  purpose  with  which  she  wrings  from  her  child’s  heart 
all  the  dangerous  endearments  of  childhood,  — its  merry 
laughter,  its  sparkling  tears,  its  trustfulness,  its  artless- 
ness, its  engaging  waywardness ; and  in  their  place  in- 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM 


105 


stils  silence,  submission,  self-constraint,  suspicion,  cun- 
ning, carefulness,  and  an  ever-vigilant  fear.  And  the 
result  is  a spectacle  of  unnatural  discipline  simply  appall- 
ing. The  life  of  such  a child  is  an  egg-shell  on  an  ocean  ; 
to  its  helpless  speck  of  experience  all  horrors  are  possi- 
ble. Its  passing  moment  is  its  eternity ; and  that  over- 
whelmed with  terrors,  real  or  imaginary,  what  is  left  but 
that  poor  little  floating  wreck,  a child’s  despair  ? 

I was  often  alone  in  the  school-room,  long  after  my 
other  charges  had  departed,  with  a pale,  dejected  woman, 
whose  name  translated  was  “ Hidden-Perfume.”  As  a 
pupil  she  was  remarkably  diligent  and  attentive,  and  in 
reading  and  translating  English  her  progress  was  extraor- 
dinary. Only  in  her  eager,  inquisitive  glances  was  she 
child-like ; otherwise,  her  expression  and  demeanor  were 
anxious  and  aged.  She  had  long  been  out  of  favor  with 
her  “lord”;  and  now,  without  hope  from  him,  surren- 
dered herself  wholly  to  her  fondness  for  a son  she  had 
borne  him  in  her  more  youthful  and  attractive  days.  In 
this  young  prince,  who  was  about  ten  years  old,  the  same 
air  of  timidity  and  restraint  was  apparent  as  in  his 
mother,  whom  he  strikingly  resembled,  only  lacking  that 
cast  of  pensive  sadness  which  rendered  her  so  attractive, 
and  her  pride,  which  closed  her  lips  upon  the  past,  though 
the  story  of  her  wrongs  was  a moving  one. 

It  was  my  habit  to  visit  her  twice  a week  at  her  resi- 
dence,* for  I was  indebted  to  her  for  much  intelligent  as- 
sistance in  my  study  of  the  Siamese  language.  On  going 
to  her  abode  one  afternoon,  I found  her  absent ; only  the 
young  prince  was  there,  sitting  sadly  by  the  window. 

“ Where  is  your  mother,  dear  ? ” I inquired. 

“ With  his  Majesty  up  stairs,  I think,”  he  replied,  still 

* Each  of  the  ladies  of  the  harem  has  her  own  exclusive  domicile, 
within  the  inner  walls  of  the  palace. 

5* 


106  SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 

looking  anxiously  in  one  direction,  as  though  watching 
for  her. 

This  was  an  unusual  circumstance  for  my  sad,  lonely 
friend,  and  I returned  home  without  my  lesson  for  that 
day. 

Next  morning,  passing  the  house  again,  I saw  the  lad 
sitting  in  the  same  attitude  at  the  window,  his  eyes  bent 
in  the  same  direction,  only  more  wistful  and  weary  than 
before.  On  questioning  him,  I found  his  mother  had  not 
yet  returned.  At  the  pavilion  I was  met  by  the  Lady 
Talap,  who,  seizing  my  hand,  said,  “ Hidden-Perfume  is  in 
trouble.” 

“ What  is  the  matter  ? ” I inquired. 

“ She  is  in  prison,”  she  whispered,  drawing  me  closely 
to  her.  “ She  is  not  prudent,  you  know,  — like  you  and 
me,”  in  a tone  which  expressed  both  triumph  and  fear. 

“ Can  I see  her  ? ” I asked. 

“ Yes,  yes  ! if  you  bribe  the  jailers.  But  don’t  give 
them  more  than  a tical  each.  They  ’ll  demand  two ; give 
them  only  one.” 

In  the  pavilion,  which  served  as  a private  chapel  for 
the  ladies  of  the  harem,  priests  were  reading  prayers 
and  reciting  homilies  from  that  sacred  book  of  Buddha 
called  Sdsdndh  Thai,  “ The  Beligion  of  the  Free  ” ; while 
the  ladies  sat  on  velvet  cushions  with  their  hands  folded, 
a vase  of  flowers  in  front  of  each,  and  a pair  of  odoriferous 
candles,  lighted.  Prayers  are  held  daily  in  this  place, 
and  three  times  a day  during  the  Buddhist  Lent.  The 
priests  are  escorted  to  the  pavilion  by  Amazons,  and  two 
warriors,  armed  with  swords  and  clubs,  remain  on  guard 
till  the  service  is  ended.  The  latter,  who  are  eunuchs, 
also  attend  the  priests  when  they  enter  the  palace,  in 
the  afternoon,  to  sprinkle  the  inmates  with  consecrated 
water. 

Leaving  the  priests  reciting  and  chanting,  and  the  rapt 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM.  107 

worshippers  bowing,  I passed  a young  mother  with  a 
sleeping  babe,  some  slave-girls  playing  at  sabdh  * on  the 
stone  pavement,  and  two  princesses  borne  in  the  arms  of 
their  slaves,  though  almost  women  grown,  on  my  way  to 
the  palace  prison. 

If  it  ever  should  be  the  reader’s  fortune,  good  or  ill,  to 
visit  a Siamese  dungeon,  whether  allotted  to  prince  or 
peasant,  his  attention  will  be  first  attracted  to  the  rude 
designs  on  the  rough  stone  walls  (otherwise  decorated  only 
with  moss  and  fungi  and  loathsome  reptiles)  of  some  night- 
mared  painter,  who  has  exhausted  his  dyspeptic  fancy  in 
portraying  hideous  personifications  of  Hunger,  Terror,  Old 
Age,  Despair,  Disease,  and  Death,  tormented  by  furies  and 
avengers,  with  hair  of  snakes  and  whips  of  scorpions,  — 
all  beyond  expression  devilish.  Floor  it  has  none,  nor 
ceiling,  for,  with  the  Meinam  so  near,  neither  boards 
nor  plaster  can  keep  out  the  ooze.  Underfoot,  a few 
planks,  loosely  laid,  are  already  as  soft  as  the  mud  they 
are  meant  to  cover ; the  damp  has  rotted  them  through 
and  through.  Overhead,  the  roof  is  black,  but  not  with 
smoke  ; for  here,  where  the  close  steam  of  the  soggy  earth 
and  the  reeking  walls  is  almost  intolerable,  no  fire  is 
needed  in  the  coldest  season.  The  cell  is  lighted  by  one 
small  window,  so  heavily  grated  on  the  outer  side  as  ef- 
fectually to  bar  the  ingress  of  fresh  air.  A pair  of  wooden 
trestles,  supporting  rough  boards,  form  a makeshift  for  a 
bedstead,  and  a mat  (which  may  be  clean  or  dirty,  the 
ticals  of  the  prisoner  must  settle  that)  is  all  the  bed. 

In  such  a cell,  on  such  a couch,  lay  the  concubine  of  a 
supreme  king  and  the  mother  of  a royal  prince  of  Siam, 
her  feet  covered  with  a silk  mantle,  her  head  supported 
by  a pillow  of  glazed  leather,  her  face  turned  to  the 
clammy  wall. 

There  was  no  door  to  grate  upon  her  quivering  nerves ; 

* Marbles,  played  with  the  knee  instead  of  the  fingers. 


108  SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


a trap-door  in  the  street  overhead  had  opened  to  the 
magic  of  silver,  and  I had  descended  a flight  of  broken 
steps  of  stone.  At  her  head,  a little  higher  than  the  pil- 
low, were  a vase  of  flowers,  half  faded,  a pair  of  candles 
burning  in  gold  candlesticks,  and  a small  image  of  the 
Buddha.  She  had  brought  her  god  with  her.  Well,  she 
needed  his  presence. 

I could  hardly  keep  my  feet,  for  the  footing  was  slip- 
pery and  my  brain  swam.  Touching  the  silent,  motion- 
less form,  in  a voice  scarcely  audible  I pronounced  her 
name.  She  turned  with  difficulty,  and  a slight  sound  of 
clanking  explained  the  covering  on  the  feet.  She  was 
chained  to  one  of  the  trestles. 

Sitting  up,  she  made  room  for  me  beside  her.  No  tears 
were  in  her  eyes ; only  the  habitual  sadness  of  her  face 
was  deepened.  Here,  truly,  was  a perfect  work  of  misery, 
meekness,  and  patience. 

Astonished  at  seeing  me,  she  imagined  me  capable  of 
yet  greater  things,  and  folding  her  hands  in  an  attitude  of 
supplication,  implored  me  to  help  her.  The  offence  for 
which  she  was  imprisoned  was  briefly  this : — 

She  had  been  led  to  petition,  through  her  son,*  that  an 
appointment  held  by  her  late  uncle,  Phya  Khien,  might 
be  bestowed  on  her  elder  brother,  not  knowing  that  an- 
other noble  had  already  been  preferred  to  the  post  by  his 
Majesty. 

Had  she  been  guilty  of  the  gravest  crime,  her  punish- 
ment could  not  have  been  more  severe.  It  was  plain  that 
a stupid  grudge  was  at  the  bottom  of  this  cruel  business. 
The  king,  on  reading  the  petition,  presented  by  the  trem- 
bling lad  on  his  knees,  became  furious,  and,  dashing  it  back 
into  the  child’s  face,  accused  the  mother  of  plotting  to 
undermine  his  power,  saying  he  knew  her  to  be  at  heart 
a rebel,  who  hated  him  and  his  dynasty  with  all  the 

* A privilege  granted  to  all  the  concubines. 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM.  109 


rancor  of  her  Peguan  ancestors,  the  natural  enemies  of 
Siam.  Thus  lashing  himself  into  a rage  of  hypocritical 
patriotism,  and  seeking  to  justify  himself  by  condemning 
her,  he  sent  one  of  his  judges  to  bring  her  to  him.  But 
before  the  myrmidon  could  go  and  come,  concluding  to 
dispense  with  forms,  he  anticipated  the  result  of  that 
mandate  with  another,  — to  chain  and  imprison  her.  No 
sooner  was  she  dragged  to  this  deadly  cell,  than  a third 
order  was  issued  to  flog  her  till  she  confessed  her  treach- 
erous plot ; but  the  stripes  were  administered  so  tenderly,* 
that  the  only  confession  they  extorted  was  a meek  protes- 
tation that  she  was  “ his  meanest  slave,  and  ready  to  give 
her  life  for  his  pleasure.” 

“ Beat  her  on  the  mouth  with  a slipper  for  lying ! ” 
roared  the  royal  tiger ; and  they  did,  in  the  letter,  if  not 
in  the  spirit,  of  the  brutal  sentence.  She  bore  it  meekly, 
hanging  down  her  head.  “ I am  degraded  forever ! ” 
she  said  to  me. 

When  once  the  king  was  enraged,  there  was  nothing  to 
be  done  but  to  wait  in  patience  until  the  storm  should 
exhaust  itself  by  its  own  fury.  But  it  was  horrible  to 
witness  such  an  abuse  of  power  at  the  hands  of  one  who 
was  the  only  source  of  justice  in  the  land.  It  was  a 
crime  against  all  humanity,  the  outrage  of  the  strong 
upon  the  helpless.  His  madness  sometimes  lasted  a 
week ; but  weeks  have  their  endings.  Besides,  he  really 
had  a conscience,  tough  and  shrunken  as  it  was ; and 
she  had,  what  was  more  to  the  purpose,  a whole  tribe  of 
powerful  connections. 

As  for  myself,  there  was  but  one  thing  I could  do  ; 
and  that  was  to  intercede  privately  with  the  Kralahome. 
The  same  evening,  immediately  on  returning  from  my 
visit  to  the  dungeon,  I called  on  him ; but  when  I ex- 

* In  these  cases  the  executioners  are  women,  who  generally  spare  each 
other  if  they  dare. 


110  SHADOWS  AND'  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 

plained  the  object  of  my  visit  he  rebuked  me  sharply 
for  interfering  between  his  Majesty  and  his  wives. 

“ She  is  my  pupil,”  I replied.  “ But  I have  not  inter- 
fered ; I have  only  come  to  you  for  justice.  She  did  not 
know  of  the  appointment  until  she  had  sent  in  her  peti- 
tion ; and  to  punish  one  woman  for  that  which  is  permit- 
ted and  encouraged  in  another  is  gross  injustice.”  There- 
upon he  sent  for  his  secretary,  and  having  satisfied  him- 
self that  the  appointment  had  not  been  published,  was 
good  enough  to  promise  that  he  would  explain  to  his  Maj- 
esty that  “ there  had  been  delay  in  making  known  to  the 
Court  the  royal  pleasure  in  this  matter  ” ; but  he  spoke 
with  indifference,  as  if  thinking  of  something  else. 

I felt  chilled  and  hurt  as  I left  the  premier’s  palace, 
and  more  anxious  than  ever  when  I thought  of  the  weary 
eyes  of  the  lonely  lad  watching  for  his  mother’s  return ; 
for  no  one  dared  tell  him  the  truth.  But,  to  do  the  pre- 
mier justice,  he  was  more  troubled  than  he  would  permit 
me  to  discover  at  the  mistake  the  poor  woman  had  made ; 
for  there  was  good  stuff  in  the  moral  fabric  of  the  man, 
— stern  rectitude,  and  a judgment,  unlike  the  king’s,  not 
warped  by  passion.  That  very  night  * he  repaired  to  the 
Grand  Palace,  and  explained  the  delay  to  the  king,  with- 
out appearing  to  be  aware  of  the  concubine’s  punish- 
ment. 

On  Monday  morning,  when  I came  to  school  in  the 
pavilion,  I found,  to  my  great  joy,  that  Hidden-Perfume 
had  been  liberated,  and  was  at  home  again  with  her  child. 
The  poor  creature  embraced  me  ardently,  glorifying  me 
with  grateful  epithets  from  the  extravagant  vocabulary  of 
her  people  ; and,  taking  an  emerald  ring  from  her  finger, 
she  put  it  upon  mine,  saying,  “ By  this  you  will  remem- 
ber your  thankful  friend.” 

* All  consultations  on  matters  of  state  and  of  court  discipline  are 
held  in  the  royal  palace  at  night. 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


Ill 


On  the  following  day  she  also  sent  me  a small  purse 
of  gold  thread  netted,  in  which  were  a few  Siamese  coins, 
and  a scrap  of  paper  inscribed  with  cabalistic  characters, — 
an  infallible  charm  to  preserve  the  wearer  from  poverty 
and  distress. 

Among  my  pupils  was  a little  girl  about  eight  or  nine 
years  old,  of  delicate  frame,  and  with  the  low  voice  and 
subdued  manner  of  one  who  had  already  had  experience 
of  sorrow.  She  was  not  among  those  presented  to  me  at 
the  opening  of  the  school.  Wanne  Ratana  Kania  was  her 
name  (“Sweet  Promise  of  my  Hopes”),  and  very  engaging 
and  persuasive  was  she  in  her  patient,  timid  loveliness. 
Her  mother,  the  Lady  Khoon  Chom  Kioa,  who  had  once 
found  favor  with  the  king,  had,  at  the  time  of  my  coming 
to  the  palace,  fallen  into  disgrace  by  reason  of  her  gam- 
bling, in  which  she  had  squandered  all  the  patrimony  of 
the  little  princess.  This  fact,  instead  of  inspiring  the 
royal  father  with  pity  for  his  child,  seemed  to  attract  to 
her  all  that  was  most  cruel  in  his  insane  temper.  The 
offence  of  the  mother  had  made  the  daughter  offensive  in 
his  sight ; and  it  was  not  until  long  after  the  term  of  im- 
prisonment of  the  degraded  favorite  had  expired  that 
Wanne  ventured  to  appear  at  a royal  levde.  The  moment 
the  king  caught  sight  of  the  little  form,  so  piteously 
prostrated  there,  he  drove  her  rudely  from  his  presence, 
taunting  her  with  the  delinquencies  of  her  mother  with  a 
coarseness  that  would  have  been  cruel  enough  if  she  had 
been  responsible  for  them  and  a gainer  by  them,  but 
against  one  of  her  tender  years,  innocent  toward  both, 
and  injured  by  both,  it  was  inconceivably  atrocious. 

On  her  first  appearance  at  school  she  was  so  timid  and 
wistful  that  I felt  constrained  to  notice  and  encourage 
her  more  than  those  whom  I had  already  with  me.  But 
I found  this  no  easy  part  to  play ; for  very  soon  one  of 


112  ‘ SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 

the  court  ladies  in  the  confidence  of  the  king  took  me 
quietly  aside  and  warned  me  to  be  less  demonstrative  in 
favor  of  the  little  princess,  saying,  “ Surely  you  would 
not  bring  trouble  upon  that  wounded  lamb.” 

It  was  a sore  trial  to  me  to  witness  the  oppression  of 
one  so  unoffending  and  so  helpless.  Yet  our  Wanne  was 
neither  thin  nor  pale.  There  was  a freshness  in  her 
childish  beauty,  and  a bloom  in  the  transparent  olive  of 
her  cheek,  that  were  at  times  bewitching.  She  loved  her 
father,  and  in  her  visions  of  baby  faith  beheld  him  almost 
as  a god.  It  was  true  joy  to  her  to  fold  her  hands  and 
bow  before  the  chamber  where  he  slept.  With  that 
steadfast  hopefulness  of  childhood  which  can  be  deceived 
without  being  discouraged,  she  would  say,  “ How  glad  he 
will  be  when  I can  read ! ” and  yet  she  had  known  noth- 
ing but  despair. 

Her  memory  was  extraordinary ; she  delighted  in  all 
that  was  remarkable,  and  with  careful  wisdom  gathered 
up  facts  and  precepts  and  saved  them  for  future  use. 
She  seemed  to  have  built  around  her  an  invisible  temple 
of  her  own  design,  and  to  have  illuminated  it  with  the 
rushlight  of  her  childish  love.  Among  the  books  she  read 
to  me,  rendering  it  from  English  into  Siamese,  was  one 
called  “ Spring-time.”  On  translating  the  line,  “ Whom 
He  loveth  he  chasteneth,”  she  looked  up  in  my  face,  and 
asked  anxiously  : “ Does  thy  God  do  that  ? Ah  ! lady,  are 
all  the  gods  angry  and  cruel  ? Has  he  no  pity,  even  for 
those  who  love  him  ? He  must  be  like  my  father ; he 
loves  us,  so  he  has  to  be  rye  (cruel),  that  we  may  fear  evil 
and  avoid  it.” 

Meanwhile  little  Wanne  learned  to  spell,  read,  and  trans- 
late almost  intuitively  ; for  there  were  novelty  and  hope 
to  help  the  Buddhist  child,  and  love  to  help  the  English 
woman.  The  sad  look  left  her  face,  her  life  had  found  an 
interest ; and  very  often,  on  fete  days,  she  was  my  only 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM.  113 


pupil ; — when  suddenly  an  ominous  cloud  obscured  the 
sky  of  her  transient  gladness. 

Wanne  was  poor ; and  her  gifts  to  me  were  of  the  riches 
of  poverty,  — fruits  and  flowers.  But  she  owned  some 
female  slaves ; and  one  among  them,  a woman  of  twenty- 
five  perhaps  (who  had  already  made  a place  for  herself  in 
my  regard),  seemed  devotedly  attached  to  her  youthful 
mistress,  and  not  only  attended  her  to  the  school  day  after 
day,  but  shared  her  scholarly  enthusiasm,  even  studied 
with  her,  sitting  at  her  feet  by  the  table.  Steadily  the 
slave  kept  pace  with  the  princess.  All  that  Wanne  learned 
at  school  in  the  day  was  lovingly  taught  to  Mai  Noie  in 
the  nursery  at  night ; and  it  was  not  long  before  I found, 
to  my  astonishment,  that  the  slave  read  and  translated  as 
correctly  as  her  mistress. 

Very  delightful  were  the  demonstrations  of  attachment 
interchanged  between  these  two.  Mai  Noie  bore  the  child 
in  her  arms  to  and  from  the  school,  fed  her,  humored  her 
every  whim,  fanned  her  naps,  bathed  and  perfumed  her 
every  night,  and  then  rocked  her  to  sleep  on  her  careful 
bosom,  as  tenderly  as  she  would  have  done  for  her  own 
baby.  And  then  it  was  charming  to  watch  the  child’s  face 
kindle  with  love  and  comfort  as  the  sound  of  her  friend’s 
step  approached. 

Suddenly  a change ; the  little  princess  came  to  school 
as  usual,  but  a strange  woman  attended  her,  and  I saw 
no  more  of  Mai  Noie  there.  The  child  grew  so  listless 
and  wretched  that  I was  forced  to  ask  the  cause  of  her 
darling’s  absence ; she  burst  into  a passion  of  tears,  but 
replied  not  a word.  Then  I inquired  of  the  stranger,  and 
she  answered  in  two  syllables,  — My  ru  (“  I know  not  ”). 

Shortly  afterward,  as  I entered  the  school-room  one 
day,  I perceived  that  something  unusual  was  happening. 
I turned  toward  the  princes’  door,  and  stood  still,  fairly 
holding  my  breath.  There  was  the  king,  furious,  striding 


114  SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 

up  and  down.  All  the  female  judges  of  the  palace  were 
present,  and  a crowd  of  mothers  and  royal  children.  On 
all  the  steps  around,  innumerable  slave-women,  old  and 
young,  crouched  and  hid  their  faces. 

Rut  the  object  most  conspicuous  was  little  Wanne’s 
mother,  manacled,  and  prostrate  on  the  polished  marble 
pavement.  There,  too,  was  my  poor  little  princess,  her 
hands  clasped  helplessly,  her  eyes  tearless  but  downcast, 
palpitating,  trembling,  shivering.  Sorrow  and  horror  had 
transformed  the  child. 

As  well  as  I could  understand,  where  no  one  dared  ex- 
plain, the  wretched  woman  had  been  gambling  again,  and 
had  even  staked  and  lost  her  daughter’s  slaves.  At  last  I 
understood  Wanne’s  silence  when  I asked  her  where  Mai 
Noie  was.  By  some  means  — spies  probably  — the  whole 
matter  had  come  to  the  king’s  ears,  and  his  rage  was  wild, 
not  because  he  loved  the  child,  but  that  he  hated  the 
mother. 

Promptly  the  order  was  given  to  lash  the  woman ; and 
two  Amazons  advanced  to  execute  it.  The  first  stripe 
was  delivered  with  savage  skill ; but  before  the  thong 
could  descend  again,  the  child  sprang  forward  and  flung 
herself  across  the  bare  and  quivering  back  of  her  mother. 

Ti  clian,  Tha  Moom  ! * Poot-thoo  ti  chan,  Tlia  Mom  ! 
(“  Strike  me,  my  father  ! Pray,  strike  me,  0 my  father ! ” ) 

The  pause  of  fear  that  followed  was  only  broken  by 
my  boy,  who,  with  a convulsive  cry,  buried  his  face  des- 
perately in  the  folds  of  my  skirt. 

There  indeed  was  a case  for  prayer,  any  prayer ! — the 
prostrate  woman,  the  hesitating  lash,  the  tearless  anguish 
of  the  Siamese  child,  the  heart-rending  cry  of  the  English 
child,  all  those  mothers  with  grovelling  brows,  but  hearts 
uplifted  among  the  stars,  on  the  wings  of  the  Angel  of 
Prayer.  Who  could  behold  so  many  women  crouching, 

* Tha  Mom  or  Moom,  used  by  children  in  addressing  a royal  father. 


SHADOWS  AND  WHISPERS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


115 


shuddering,  stupefied,  dismayed,  in  silence  and  darkness, 
animated,  enlightened  only  by  the  deep  whispering  heart 
of  maternity,  and  not  be  moved  with  mournful  yearn- 
ing ? 

The  child’s  prayer  was  vain.  As  demons  tremble  in 
the  presence  of  a god,  so  the  king  comprehended  that  he 
had  now  to  deal  with  a power  of  weakness,  pity,  beauty, 
courage,  and  eloquence.  “ Strike  me,  O my  father ! ” 
His  quick,  clear  sagacity  measured  instantly  all  the  dan- 
ger in  that  challenge ; and  though  his  voice  was  thick  and 
agitated  (for,  monster  as  he  was  at  that  moment,  he  could 
not  but  shrink  from  striking  at  every  mother’s  heart  at 
his  feet),  he  nervously  gave  the  word  to  remove  the  child, 
and  bind  her.  The  united  strength  of  several  women  was 
not  more  than  enough  to  loose  the  clasp  of  those  loving 
arms  from  the  neck  of  an  unworthy  mother.  The  tender 
hands  and  feet  were  bound,  and  the  tender  heart  was 
broken.  The  lash  descended  then,  unforbidden  by  any 
cry. 


XIII. 


FA-YING,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 

LL  you  teach  me  to  draw  ? ” said  an  irresistible 


table,  one  bright  afternoon.  “ It  is  so  much  more  pleasant 
to  sit  by  you  than  to  go  to  my  Sanskrit  class.  My  San- 
skrit teacher  is  not  like  my  English  teacher  ; she  bends 
my  hands  hack  when  I make  mistakes.  I don’t  like 
Sanskrit,  I like  English.  There  are  so  many  pretty  pic- 
tures in  your  hooks.  Will  you  take  me  to  England 
with  you,  Mam  cha  ? ” * pleaded  the  engaging  little 
prattler. 

“ I am  afraid  his  Majesty  will  not  let  you  go  with  me,” 
I replied. 

“ 0 yes,  he  will ! ” said  the  child  with  smiling  con- 
fidence. “He  lets  me  do  as  I like.  You  know  I am  the 
Somdetch  Chow  Fa-ying ; he  loves  me  best  of  all ; he 
will  let  me  go.” 

“ I am  glad  to  hear  it,”  said  I,  “ and  very  glad  to  hear 
that  you  love  English  and  drawing.  Let  us  go  up  and 
ask  his  Majesty  if  you  may  learn  drawing  instead  of 
Sanskrit.” 

With  sparkling  eyes  and  a happy  smile,  she  sprang  from 
my  lap,  and,  seizing  my  hand  eagerly,  said,  “ O yes ! let 
us  go  now.”  We  went,  and  our  prayer  was  granted. 

Never  did  work  seem  more  like  pleasure  than  it  did  to 
me  as  I sat  with  this  sweet,  bright  little  princess,  day 


young  voice  to  me,  as  I sat  at  the  school-room 


* “Lady  dear.1 


FA-YING,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 


117 


after  day,  at  the  hour  when  all  her  brothers  and  sisters 
were  at  their  Sanskrit,  drawing  herself,  as  the  humor 
seized  her,  or  watching  me  draw ; but  oftener  listening, 
her  large  questioning  eyes  fixed  upon  my  face,  as  step  by 
step  I led  her  out  of  the  shadow-land  of  myth  into  the 
realm  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  “ The  wis- 
dom of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  God  ” ; and  I felt 
that  this  child  of  smiles  and  tears,  all  unbaptized  and 
unblessed  as  she  was,  was  nearer  and  dearer  to  her  Father 
in  heaven  than  to  her  father  on  earth. 

This  was  the  Somdetch  Chowfa  Chandrmondol,  best 
known  in  the  palace  by  her  pet  name  of  Fa-ying.  Her 
mother,  the  late  queen  consort,  in  dying,  left  three  sons 
and  this  one  daughter,  whom,  with  peculiar  tenderness 
and  anxiety,  she  commended  to  the  loving-kindness  of 
the  king ; and  now  the  child  was  the  fondled  darling  of 
the  lonely,  bitter  man,  having  quickly  won  her  way  to  his 
heart  by  the  charm  of  her  fearless  innocence  and  trust- 
fulness, her  sprightly  intelligence  and  changeful  grace. 

Morning  dawned  fair  on  the  river,  the  sunshine  flicker- 
ing on  the  silver  ripples,  and  gilding  the  boats  of  the 
market  people  as  they  softly  glide  up  or  down  to  the  lazy 
swing  of  the  oars.  The  floating  shops  were  all  awake, 
displaying  their  various  and  fantastic  wares  to  attract 
the  passing  citizen  or  stranger.  Priests  in  yellow  robes 
moved  noiselessly  from  door  to  door,  receiving  without 
asking  and  without  thanks  the  alms  wherewith  their  pious 
clients  hoped  to  lay  up  treasures  in  heaven,  or,  in  Budd- 
hist parlance,  to  “make  merit.”  Slaves  hurried  hither 
and  thither  in  the  various  bustle  of  errands.  Worship- 
pers thronged  the  gates  and  vestibules  of  the  many  tem- 
ples of  this  city  of  pagodas  and  p'hra-cha-dees,  and  myr- 
iads of  fan-shaped  bells  scattered  seolian  melodies  on  the 
passing  breeze. 


118 


FA-YING,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 


As  Boy  and  I gazed  from  our  piazza  on  this  strangely 
picturesque  panorama,  there  swept  across  the  river  a royal 
barge  filled  with  slaves,  who,  the  moment  they  had  landed, 
hurried  up  to  me. 

“ My  lady,”  they  cried,  “ there  is  cholera  in  the  palace  ! 
Three  slaves  are  lying  dead  in  the  princesses’  court ; and 
her  Highness,  the  young  Somdetch  Chow  Fa-ying,  was 
seized  this  morning.  She  sends  for  you.  0,  come  to 
her,  quickly ! ” and  with  that  they  put  into  my  hand  a 
scrap  of  paper  ; it  was  from  his  Majesty. 

“ My  dear  Mam,  — Our  well-beloved  daughter,  your 
favorite  pupil,  is  attacked  with  cholera,  and  has  earnest 
desire  to  see  you,  and  is  heard  much  to  make  frequent 
repetition  of  your  name.  I beg  that  you  will  favor  her 
wish.  I fear  her  illness  is  mortal,  as  there  has  been 
three  deaths  since  morning.  She  is  best  beloved  of  my 
children. 

“ I am  your  afflicted  friend, 

“ S.  S.  P.  P.  Maha  Mongkut.” 

In  a moment  I was  in  my  boat.  I entreated,  I flat- 
tered, I scolded,  the  rowers.  How  slow  they  were  ! how 
strong  the  opposing  current ! And  when  we  did  reach 
those  heavy  gates,  how  slowly  they  moved,  with  what 
suspicious  caution  they  admitted  me  ! I was  fierce  with 
impatience.  And  when  at  last  I stood  panting  at  the 
door  of  my  Fa-ying’s  chamber — ‘too  late!  even  Dr. 
Campbell  (the  surgeon  of  the  British  consulate)  had  come 
too  late. 

There  was  no  need  to  prolong  that  anxious  wail  in  the 
ear  of  the  deaf  child,  “ P’lira-Arahang  ! P’hra-Araliang ! ” * 
She  would  not  forget  her  way  ; she  would  nevermore  lose 
herself  on  the  road  to  Heaven.  Beyond,  above  the  P’lira- 

* One  of  the  most  sacred  of  the  many  titles  of  Buddha,  repeated  Ly 
the  nearest  relative  in  the  ear  of  the  dying  till  life  is  quite  extinct. 


FA-YING,  THE  ICING’S  DARLING. 


119 


Arahang,  slie  had  soared  into  the  eternal,  tender  arms  of 
the  P’hra-Jesus,  of  whom  she  was  wont  to  say  in  her  in- 
fantine wonder  and  eagerness,  Mam  cha,  chdn  rdlc  P'hra- 
Jcsus  mdlc  (“  Mam  dear,  I love  your  holy  Jesus.”) 

As  I stooped  to  imprint  a parting  kiss  on  the  little  face 
that  had  been  so  fair  to  me,  her  kindred  and  slaves  ex- 
changed their  appealing  “ P’hra-Arahang  ” for  a sudden 
burst  of  heart-rending  cries. 

An  attendant  hurried  me  to  the  king,  who,  reading  the 
heavy  tidings  in  my  silence,  covered  his  face,  with  his 
hands  and  wept  passionately.  Strange  and  terrible  were 
the  tears  of  such  a man,  welling  up  from  a heart  from 
which  all  natural  affections  had  seemed  to  be  expelled,  to 
make  room  for  his  own  exacting,  engrossing  conceit  of  self. 

Bitterly  he  bewailed  his  darling,  calling  her  by  such 
tender,  touching  epithets  as  the  lips  of  loving  Christian 
mothers  use.  What  could  I say  ? What  could  I do  but 
weep  with  him,  and  then  steal  quietly  away  and  leave 
the  king  to  the  Father? 

“The  moreover  very  sad  & mournful  Circular*  from 
His  Gracious  Majesty  Somdetch  P’hra  Paramendr  Maha 
Mongkut,  the  reigning  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  intimating 
the  recent  death  of  Her  Celestial  Royal  Highness,  Prin- 
cess Somdetch  Cliowfa  Chandrmondol  Sobhon  Baghiawati, 
who  was  His  Majesty’s  most  affectionate  & well  beloved 
9th  Royal  daughter  or  16th  offspring,  and  the  second 
Royal  child  by  His  Majesty’s  late  Queen  consort  Rambery 
Bhamarabhiramy  who  deceased  in  the  year  1861.  Both 
mother  and  daughter  have  been  known  to  many  foreign 
friends  of  His  Majesty. 

“To  all  the  foreign  friends  of  His  Majesty,  residing  or 
trading  in  Siam,  or  in  Singapore,  Malacca,  Pinang,  Cey- 
lon, Batavia,  Saigon,  Macao,  Hong-kong,  & various  regions 
in  China,  Europe,  America,  &c.  &c 


From  the  pen  of  the  king. 


120 


FA-YING,  TIIE  KING’S  DARLING. 


“ Her  Celestial  Eoyal  Highness,  having  been  born  on 
the  24th  April,  1855,  grew  up  in  happy  condition  of  her 
royal  valued  life,  under  the  care  of  her  Eoyal  parents,  as 
well  as  her  elder  and  younger  three  full  brothers  ; and  on 
the  demise  of  her  royal  mother  on  the  forementioned 
date,  she  was  almost  always  with  her  Eoyal  father  every- 
where day  & night.  All  things  which  belonged  to  her 
late  mother  suitable  for  female  use  were  transferred  to 
her  as  the  most  lawful  inheritor  of  her  late  royal  mother ; 
She  grew  up  to  the  age  of  8 years  & 20  days.  On  the 
ceremony  of  the  funeral  service  of  her  elder  late  royal 
half  brother  forenamed,  She  accompanied  her  royal  es- 
teemed father  & her  royal  brothers  and  sisters  in  custom- 
ary service,  cheerfully  during  three  days  of  the  ceremony, 
from  the  11th  to  13th  May.  On  the  night  of  the  latter 
day,  when  she  was  returning  from  the  royal  funeral  place 
to  the  royal  residence  in  the  same  sedan  with  her  Eoyal 
father  at  10  o’clock  P.  M.  she  yet  appeared  happy,  but 
alas ! on  her  arrival  at  the  royal  residence,  she  was  at- 
tacked by  most  violent  & awful  cholera,  and  sunk  rapidly 
before  the  arrival  of  the  physicians  who  were  called  on 
that  night  for  treatment.  Her  disease  or  illness  of  cholera 
increased  so  strong  that  it  did  not  give  way  to  the  treat- 
ment of  any  one,  or  even  to  the  Chlorodine  administered 
to  her  by  Doctor  James  Campbell  the  Surgeon  of  the 
British  Consulate.  She  expired  at  4 o’clock  P.  M.,  on  the 
14th  May,  when  her  elder  royal  half  brother’s  remains 
were  burning  at  the  funeral  hall  outside  of  the  royal  pal- 
ace, according  to  the  determined  time  for  the  assembling 
of  the  great  congregation  of  the  whole  of  the  royalty  & 
nobility,  and  native  & foreign  friends,  before  the  occur- 
rence of  the  unforeseen  sudden  misfortune  or  mournful 
event. 

“ The  sudden  death  of  the  said  most  affectionate  and 
lamented  royal  daughter  has  caused  greater  regret  and 


FA-YIXG,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 


121 


sorrow  to  her  Eoyal  father  than  several  losses  sustained 
by  him  before,  as  this  beloved  Eoyal  amiable  daughter 
was  brought  up  almost  by  the  hands  of  His  Majesty 
himself,  since  she  was  aged  only  4 to  5 months,  His  Maj- 
esty has  carried  her  to  and  fro  by  his  hand  and  on  the 
lap  and  placed  her  by  his  side  in  every  one  of  the  Eoyal 
seats,  where  ever  he  went ; whatever  could  be  done  in  the 
way  of  nursing  His  Majesty  has  done  himself,  by  feeding 
her  with  milk  obtained  from  her  nurse,  and  sometimes 
with  the  milk  of  the  cow,  goat  &c.  poured  in  a teacup 
from  which  His  Majesty  fed  her  by  means  of  a spoon,  so 
this  Eoyal  daughter  was  as  familiar  with  her  father  in  her 
infancy,  as  with  her  nurses. 

“ On  her  being  only  aged  six  months,  his  Majesty  took 
this  Princess  with  him  and  went  to  Ayudia  on  affairs 
there ; after  that  time  when  she  became  grown  up  His 
Majesty  had  the  princess  seated  on  his  lap  when  he  was 
in  his  chair  at  the  breakfast,  dinner  & supper  table,  and 
fed  her  at  the  same  time  of  breakfast  &c,  almost  every 
day,  except  when  she  became  sick  of  colds  &c.  until  the 
last  days  of  her  life  she  always  eat  at  same  table  with  her 
father.  Where  ever  His  Majesty  went,  this  princess  al- 
ways accompanied  her  father  upon  the  same,  sedan,  car- 
riage, Eoyal  boat,  yacht  &c.  and  on  her  being  grown  up 
she  became  more  prudent  than  other  children  of  the  same 
age,  she  paid  every  affectionate  attention  to  her  affection- 
ate and  esteemed  father  in  every  thing  where  her  ability 
allowed ; she  was  well  educated  in  the  vernacular  Siam- 
ese literature  which  she  commenced  to  study  when  she 
was  3 years  old,  and  in  last  year  she  commenced  to  study 
in  the  English  School  where  the  schoolmistress,  Lady 
L — — has  observed  that  she  was  more  skillful  than  the 
other  royal  Children,  she  pronounced  & spoke  English  in 
articulate  & clever  manner  which  pleased  the  schoolmis- 
tress exceedingly,  so  that  the  schoolmistress  on  the  loss 
" 6 


122  FA-YING,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 

of  this  her  beloved  pupil,  was  in  great  sorrow  and  wept 
much. 

“ . . . . But  alas ! her  life  was  very  short.  She  was  only 
aged  8 years  & 20  days,  reckoning  from  her  birth  day  & 
hour,  she  lived  in  this  world  2942  days  & 18  hours.  But  it 
is  known  that  the  nature  of  human  lives  is  like  the  flames 
of  candles  lighted  in  open  air  without  any  protection  above 
& every  side,  so  it  is  certain  that  this  path  ought  to  be 
followed  by  every  one  of  human  beings  in  a short  or  long 
while  which  cannot  be  ascertained  by  prediction,  Alas  ! 

“Dated  Boyal  Grand  Palace,  Bangkok,  lGth  May,  Anno 
Christi  1863.” 

Not  long  after  our  darling  Fa-ying  was  taken  from  us, 
the  same  royal  barge,  freighted  with  the  same  female 
slaves  who  had  summoned  us  to  her  death-bed,  came  in 
haste  to  our  house.  His  Majesty  had  sent  them  to  find 
and  bring  us.  We  must  hurry  to  the  palace.  On  arriv- 
ing there,  we  found  the  school  pavilion  strangely  decorated 
with  flowers.  My  chair  of  office  had  been  freshly  painted 
a glaring  red,  and  on  the  back  and  round  the  arms  and 
legs  fresh  flowers  were  twined.  The  books  the  Princess 
Fa-ying  had  lately  conned  were  carefully  displayed  in 
front  of  my  accustomed  seat,  and  upon  them  were  laid 
fresh  roses  and  fragrant  lilies.  Some  of  the  ladies  in 
waiting  informed  me  that  an  extraordinary  honor  was 
about  to  be  conferred  on  me.  Not  relishing  the  prospect 
of  favors  that  might  place  me  in  a false  position,  and 
still  all  in  the  dark,  I submitted  quietly,  but  not  without 
misgivings  on  my  own  part  and  positive  opposition  on 
Boy’s,  to  be  enthroned  in  the  gorgeous  chair,  whereof  the 
paint  was  hardly  dry.  Presently  his  Majesty  sent  to 
inquire  if  we  had  arrived,  and  being  apprised  of  our 
presence,  came  down  at  once,  followed  by  all  my  pupils 
and  a formidable  staff  of  noble  dowagers,  — his  sisters, 
half-sisters,  and  aunts,  paternal  and  maternal 


FA-YING,  TIIE  KING’S  DARLING.  123 

Having  shaken  hands  with  me  and  with  my  child,  he 
proceeded  to  enlighten  us.  He  was  about  to  confer  a 
distinction  upon  me,  for  my  “ courage  and  conduct,”  as  he 
expressed  it,  at  the  death-bed  of  her  Highness,  his  well- 
beloved  royal  child,  the  Somdetch  Chow  Fa-ying.  Then, 
bidding  me  “ remain  seated,”  much  to  the  detriment  of 
my  white  dress,  in  the  sticky  red  chair,  and  carefully  tak- 
ing the  ends  of  seven  threads  of  unspun  cotton  (whereof 
the  other  ends  were  passed  over  my  head,  and  over  the 
dead  child’s  books,  into  the  hands  of  seven  of  his  elder 
sisters),  he  proceeded  to  wind  them  round  my  brow  and 
temples.  Next  he  waved  mysteriously  a few  gold  coins, 
then  dropped  twenty-one  drops  of  cold  water  out  of  a 
jewelled  shell*  and  finally,  muttering  something  in  San- 
skrit, and  placing  in  my  hand  a small  silk  bag  containing 
a title  of  nobility  and  the  number  and  description  of  the 
roods  of  lands  pertaining  to  it,  bade  me  rise,  “ Chow  Khoon 
Crue  Yai  ” ! 

My  estate  was  in  the  district  of  Lophaburee  and  P’hra 
Batt,  and  I found  afterward  that  to  reach  it  I must  per- 
form a tedious  journey  overland,  through  a wild,  dense 
jungle,  on  the  back  of  an  elephant.  So,  with  wise 
munificence,  I left  it  to  my  people,  tigers,  elephants, 
rhinoceroses,  wild  boars,  armadillos,  and  monkeys  to  en- 
joy unmolested  and  untaxed,  while  I continued  to  pur- 
sue the  even  tenor  of  a “ school-marm’s  ” way,  unagitated 
by  my  honorary  title.  In  fact,  the  whole  affair  was  ridicu- 
lous ; and  I was  inclined  to  feel  a little  ashamed  of  the 
distinction,  when  I reflected  on  the  absurd  figure  I must 
have  cut,  with  my  head  in  a string  like  a grocer’s  parcel, 
and  Boy  imploring  me,  with  all  his  astonished  eyes,  not 
to  submit  to  so  silly  an  operation.  So  he  and  I tacitly 
agreed  to  hush  the  matter  up  between  us. 

Speaking  of  the  “ chank  ” shell,  that  is  the  name 


The  conch  or  chank  shell. 


124  FA-YING,  THE  KING’S  DARLING. 

given  in  the  East  Indies  to  certain  varieties  of  the  voluta 
yravis,  fished  up  by  divers  in  the  Gulf  of  Manaar,  on  the 
northwest  coast  of  Ceylon.  There  are  two  kinds,  payel 
and  patty, — tire  one  red,  the  other  white ; the  latter  is  of 
small  value.  These  shells  are  exported  to  Calcutta  and 
Bombay,  where  they  are  sawed  into  rings  of  various  sizes, 
and  worn  on  the  arms,  legs,  fingers,  and  toes  by  the  Hin- 
doos, from  whom  the  Buddhists  have  adopted  the  shell  for 
use  in  their  religious  or  political  ceremonies.  They  em- 
ploy, however,  a third  species,  which  opens  to  the  right, 
and  is  rare  and  costly.  The  demand  for  these  shells, 
created  by  the  innumerable  poojahs  and  pageants  of  the 
Hindoos  and  Buddhists,  was  formerly  so  great  that  a 
bounty  of  sixty  thousand  rix  dollars  per  annum  was 
paid  to  the  British  government  for  the  privilege  of  fishing 
for  them ; but  this  demand  finally  ceased,  and  the  revenue 
became  not  worth  collecting.  The  fishing  is  now  free  to 
alL 


XIV. 


AN  OUTRAGE  AND  A WARNING. 

NE  morning  we  were  startled  by  a great  outcry,  from 


which  we  presently  began  to  pick  out,  here  and 
there,  a coherent  word,  which,  put  together,  signified  that 
Moonshee  was  once  more  in  trouble.  I ran  down  into  the 
compound,  and  found  that  the  old  man  had  been  cruelly 
beaten,  by  order  of  one  of  the  premier’s  half-brothers,  for 
refusing  to  bow  down  before  him.  Exhausted  as  he  was, 
he  found  voice  to  express  his  sense  of  the  outrage  in  in- 
dignant iteration.  “ Am  I a beast  ? Am  I an  unbeliev- 
ing dog  ? 0 son  of  Jaffur  Khan,  how  hast  thou  fallen  !” 

I felt  so  shocked  and  insulted  that  I went  at  once,  and 
without  ceremony,  to  the  Kralahome,  and  complained. 
To  my  surprise  and  disgust,  his  Excellency  made  light  of 
the  matter,  saying  that  the  old  man  was  a fool ; that  he 
had  no  time  to  waste  upon  such  trifles ; and  that  I must 
not  trouble  him  so  often  with  my  meddling  in  matters  of 
no  moment,  and  which  did  not  concern  me. 

When  he  was  done  with  this  explosion  of  petulance 
and  brow-beating,  I endeavored  to  demonstrate  to  him  the 
unfairness  of  his  remarks,  and  the  disadvantage  to  himself 
if  he  should  appear  to  connive  at  the  ruffianly  behavior 
of  his  people.  But  I assured  him  that  in  future  I should 
not  trouble  him  with  my  complaints,  but  take  them 
directly  to  the  British  Consul.  And  so  saying  I left  this 
unreasonable  prime  minister,  meeting  the  cause  of  all  our 
woes  (the  half-brother)  coming  in  as  1 went  out. 


126 


AN  OUTRAGE  AND  A WARNING. 


That  same  evening,  as  I sat  in  our  little  piazza,  where 
it  was  cooler  than  in  the  house,  embroidering  a new  coat 
for  Boy  to  wear  on  his  approaching  birthday,  I felt  a vio- 
lent blow  on  my  head,  and  fell  from  my  chair  stunned, 
overturning  the  small  table  at  which  I was  working,  and 
the  heavy  Argand  lamp  that  stood  on  it. 

On  recovering  my  senses  I found  myself  in  the  dark, 
and  Boy,  with  all  his  little  strength,  trying  to  lift  me 
from  the  floor,  while  he  screamed,  “ Beebe  mciree  ! Beebe 
vicirce  !”*  I endeavored  to  rise,  but  feeling  dizzy  and 
sick  lay  still  for  a while,  taking  Louis  in  my  arms  to  re- 
assure him. 

When  Beebe  came  from  the  river,  where  she  had  been 
bathing,  she  struck  a light,  and  found  that  the  mischief 
had  been  done  with  a large  stone,  about  four  inches  long 
and  two  wide ; but  by  whom  or  why  it  had  been  thrown 
we  could  not  for  some  time  conjecture.  Beebe  raised  the 
neighborhood  with  her  cries : “ First  my  husband,  then 
my  mistress!  It  will  be  my  turn  next;  and  then  what 
will  become  of  the  chota  baba  sahib?”' f*  But  I begged 
her  to  have  done  with  her  din  and  help  me  to  the  couch, 
which  she  did  with  touching  tenderness  and  cpiiet,  bath- 
ing my  head,  which  had  bled  so  profusely  that  I sank,  ex- 
hausted, into  a deep  sleep,  though  the  sight  of  my  boy’s 
pale,  anxious  face,  as  he  insisted  on  sharing  Beebe’s  vigil, 
would  have  been  more  than  enough  to  keep  me  awnke  at 
any  other  time.  When  I awoke  in  the  morning,  there  sat 
the  dear  little  fellow  in  a chair  asleep,  but  dressed,  his 
head  resting  on  my  pillow. 

I now  felt  so  much  better,  though  my  head  was  badly 
swollen,  that  I rose  and  paid  a visit  to  Moonsliee,  who 
was  really  ill,  though  not  dying,  as  his  wife  declared. 
The  shame  and  outrage  of  his  beating  was  the  occasion 
of  much  sorrow  and  trouble  to  me,  for  my  Persian  teacher 

* Maree,  “Come  here”  (Malay).  + The  little  master. 


AN  OUTRAGE  AND  A WARNING. 


127 


now  begged  to  be  sent  back  to  Singapore,  and  I thought  that 
Beebe  could  not  be  persuaded  to  let  him  go  alone,  though 
my  heart  had  been  set  on  keeping  them  with  me  as  long 
as  I remained  in  Siam.  It  was  in  vain  that  I tried  to 
convince  the  terrified  old  man  that  such  a catastrophe 
could  hardly  happen  again;  he  would  not  be  beguiled, 
but,  shedding  faithful  tears  at  the  sight  of  my  bandaged 
head,  declared  we  should  all  be  murdered  if  we  tarried 
another  day  in  a land  of  such  barbarous  Kafirs.  I as- 
sured him  that  my  wound  was  but  skin-deep,  and  that  I 
apprehended  no  further  violence.  But  all  to  no  purpose ; 
I was  obliged  to  promise  them  that  they  should  depart 
by  the  next  trip  of  the  Chow  Pliya  steamer. 

I deemed  it  prudent,  however,  to  send  for  the  pre- 
mier’s secretary,  and  warn  him,  in  his  official  capacity,  that 
if  a repetition  of  the  outrage  already  perpetrated  upon 
members  of  my  household  should  be  attempted  from  any 
quarter,  I would  at  once  take  refuge  at  the  British  con- 
sulate, and  lodge  a complaint  against  the  government  of 
Siam. 

Mr.  Hunter,  who  was  always  very  serious  when  he  was 
sober  and  very  volatile  when  he  was  not,  took  the  matter 
to  heart,  stared  long  and  thoughtfully  at  my  bandaged 
head  and  pallid  countenance,  and  abruptly  started  for  the 
premier’s  palace,  whence  he  returned  on  the  following 
day  with  several  copies  of  a proclamation  in  the  Siamese 
language,  signed  by  his  Excellency,  to  the  effect  that  per- 
sons found  injuring  or  in  any  way  molesting  any  member 
of  my  household  should  be  severely  punished.  I desired 
him  to  leave  one  or  two  of  them,  in  a friendly  way,  at  the 
house  of  my  neighbor  on  the  left,  the  Kralahome’s  half- 
brother;  for  it  was  he,  and  no  other,  who  had  committed 
this  most  cowardly  act  of  revenge.  The  expression  of 
Mr.  Hunter’s  face,  as  the  truth  slowly  dawned  upon  him, 
was  rich  in  its  blending  of  indignation,  disgust,  and  con- 


128 


AN  OUTRAGE  AND  A WARNING. 


tempt.  “ The  pusillanimous  rascal ! ” he  exclaimed,  as  he 
hurried  off  in  the  direction  indicated. 

“ The  darkest  hour  is  just  before  day.”  So  the  gloom 
now  cast  over  our  little  circle  by  Moonshee’s  departure 
was  quickly  followed  by  the  light  of  love  in  Beebe’s  tear- 
ful eyes  as  she  bade  her  husband  adieu.  “ How  could 
she,”  she  asked,  “ leave  her  Mem  and  the  chota  baba  sahib 
alone  in  a strange  laud  ? ” 


XY. 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 

SCENDING  the  Meinam  (or  Chow  Phya)  from  the 


gulf,  and  passing  Paknam,  the  paltry  but  pictu- 
resque seaport  already  described,  we  come  next  to  Pak- 
lat  Beeloo,  or  “ Little  Paklat,”  so  styled  to  distinguish 
it  from  Paklat  Boon,  a considerable  town  higher  up  the 
river,  which  we  shall  presently  inspect  as  we  steam 
toward  Bangkok.  Though,  strictly  speaking,  Paklat  Bee- 
loo is  a mere  cluster  of  huts,  the  humble  dwellings  of  a 
colony  of  farmers  and  rice-planters,  it  is  nevertheless  a 
place  of  considerable  importance  as  a depot  for  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  ample  fields  and  gardens  which  surround  it 
on  every  side.  The  rice  and  vegetables  which  these 
supply  are  shipped  for  the  markets  of  Bangkok  and 
Ayudia.  At  Paklat  Beeloo  that  bustle  of  traffic  begins 
which,  more  and  more  as  we  approach  the  capital,  imparts 
to  the  river  its  characteristic  aspect  of  activity  and  thrift, 
— an  animated  procession  of  boats  of  various  form  and 
size,  deeply  laden  with  grain,  garden  stuffs,  and  fruits, 
drifting  with  the  friendly  helping  tide,  and  requiring  little 
or  no  manual  labor  for  their  navigation,  as  they  sweep 
along  tranquilly,  steadily,  from  bank  to  bank,  from  village 
to  village. 

Diverse  as  are  the  styles  and  uses  of  these  boats,  the 
most  convenient,  and  therefore  the  most  common,  are  the 
Itua-keng  and  the  Itua-pet.  The  former  resembles  in  all 
respects  the  Venetian  gondola,  while  the  Bua-pet  has 


i 


130  TIIE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 

either  a square  house  with  windows  amidships,  or  (more 
commonly)  a basket  cover,  long  and  round,  like  the  tent- 
top  of  some  Western  wagons.  The  dimensions  of  many 
of  these  boats  are  sufficient  to  accommodate  an  entire 
family,  with  their  household  goods  and  merchandise,  yet 
one  seldom  sees  more  than  a single  individual  in  charge 
of  them.  The  tide,  running  strongly  up  or  down,  affords 
the  motive-power  ; “ the  crew  ” has  but  to  steer.  Often 
unwieldy,  and  piled  clumsily  with  cargo,  one  might 
reasonably  suppose  their  safe  piloting  to  be  a nautical 
impossibility  ; yet  so  perfect  is  the  skill  — the  instinct, 
rather  — of  these  almost  amphibious  river-folk,  that  a little 
child,  not  uncommonly  a girl,  shall  lead  them.  Accidents 
are  marvellously  rare,  considering  the  thousands  of  large, 
heavy,  handsome  keng  boats  that  ply  continually  between 
the  gulf  and  the  capital,  now  lost  in  a sudden  bend  of 
the  stream,  now  emerging  from  behind  a screen  of  man- 
groves, and  in  their  swift  descent  threatening  quick  de- 
struction to  the  small  and  fragile  market-boats,  freighted 
with  fish  and  poultry,  fruit  and  vegetables. 

From  Paklat  Beeloo  a great  canal  penetrates  to  the 
heart  of  Bangkok,  cutting  off  fifteen  Siamese  miles  from 
the  circuitous  river  route.  But  the  traveller,  faithful  to 
the  picturesque,  will  cling  to  the  beautiful  Meinam,  which 
will  entertain  him  with  scenery  more  and  more  charming 
as  he  approaches  the  capital,  — higher  lands,  a neater 
cultivation,  hamlets  and  villages  quaintly  pretty,  fantastic 
temples  and  pagodas  dotting  the  plain,  fine  Oriental 
effects  of  form  and  color,  scattered  Edens  of  fruit-trees,  — 
the  mango,  the  mangostein,  the  bread-fruit,  the  durian, 
the  orange,  — their  dark  foliage  contrasting  boldly  with 
the  more  lively  and  lovely  green  of  the  betel,  the  tama- 
rind, and  the  banana.  Every  curve  of  the  river  is  beautiful 
with  an  unexpectedness  of  its  own,  — here  the  sugar-cane 
swaying  gracefully,  there  the  billow-like  lights  and  shad- 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


131 


ows  of  the  supple,  feathery  bamboo,  and  everywhere  ideal 
paradises  of  refreshment  and  repose.  As  we  drift  on  the 
flowing  thoroughfare  toward  the  golden  spires  of  Bangkok, 
kaleidoscopic  surprises  of  summer  salute  us  on  either  hand. 

Presently  we  come  to  Paklat  Boon,  a place  of  detached 
cottages  and  orchards,  fondly  courting  the  river,  the  pretty 
homesteads  of  husbandmen  and  gardeners.  Here,  too,  is 
a dock-yard  for  the  construction  of  royal  barges  and  war- 
boats,  some  of  them  more  than  eighty  feet  long,  with 
less  than  twelve  feet  beam. 

From  Paklat  Boon  to  Bangkok  the  scene  is  one  of  ever- 
increasing  splendor,  the  glorious  river  seeming  to  array 
itself  more  and  more  grandly,  as  for  the  admiration  of 
kings,  and  proudly  spreading  its  waters  wide,  as  a cour- 
tier spreads  his  robes.  Its  lake-like  expanses,  without  a 
spiteful  rock  or  shoal,  are  alive  with  ships,  barks,  brigs, 
junks,  proas,  sampans,  canoes ; and  the  stranger  is  beset 
by  a flotilla  of  river  pedlers,  expertly  sculling  under  the 
stern  of  the  steamer,  and  shrilly  screaming  the  praises  of 
their  wares  ; while  here  and  there,  in  the  thick  of  the 
bustle  and  scramble  and  din,  a cunning,  quick-handed 
Chinaman,  in  a crank  canoe,  ladles  from  a steaming  cal- 
dron his  savory  chow-chow  soup,  and  serves  it  out  in 
small  white  bowls  to  hungry  customers,  who  hold  their 
peace  for  a time  and  loll  upon  their  oars,  enraptured  by 
the  penetrating  brew. 

Three  miles  below  the  capital  are  the  royal  dock-yards, 
where  most  of  the  ships  composing  the  Siamese  navy  and 
merchant  marine  are  built,  under  the  supervision  of  Eng- 
lish shipwrights.  Here,  also,  craft  from  Hong-Kong, 
Canton,  Singapore,  Bangoon,  and  other  ports,  that  have 
been  disabled  at  sea,  are  repaired  more  thoroughly  and 
cheaply  than  in  any  other  port  in  the  East.  There  are, 
likewise,  several  dry-docks,  and,  in  fact,  an  establishment 
completely  equipped  and  intelligently  managed. 


132 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


A short  distance  below  the  dock-yards  is  the  American 
Mission,  comprising  the  dwellings  of  the  missionaries 
and  a modest  school-house  and  chapel,  the  latter  having  a 
fair  attendance  of  consuls  and  their  children.  Above  the 
dock-yards  is  the  Roman  Catholic  establishment,  a quiet 
little  settlement  clustered  about  a small  cross-crowned 
sanctuary. 

Yet  one  more  bend  of  the  tortuous  river,  and  the 
strange  panorama  of  the  floating  city  unrolls  like  a great 
painted  canvas  before  us,  — piers  and  rafts  of  open  shops, 
with  curious  wares  and  fabrics  exposed  at  the  very  water’s 
edge ; and  beyond  and  above  these  the  magnificent 
“watts”  and  pagodas  with  which  the  capital  abounds. 

These  pagodas,  and  the  'p'lira-clm-dccs,  or  minarets, 
that  crown  some  of  the  temples,  are  in  many  cases  true 
wonders  of  cunning  workmanship  and  profuse  adornment 
— displaying  mosaics  of  fine  porcelain,  inlaid  with  ivory, 
gold,  and  silver,  while  the  lofty  doors  and  windows  are 
overlaid  with  sculptures  of  grotesque  figures  from  the 
Buddhist  and  Braliminical  mythologies.  Near  the  Grand 
Palace  are  three  tall  pillars  of  elegant  design,  everywhere 
inlaid  with  variegated  stones,  and  so  richly  gilt  that  they 
are  the  wonder  and  the  pride  of  all  the  country  round. 
These  monuments  mark  the  places  of  deposit  of  a few 
charred  bones  that  once  were  three  demigods  of  Siam, — 
the  kings  P’hra  Rama  Thibodi,  P’hra  Narai,  and  P’lira 
Phya  Tak,  who  did  doughty  deeds  of  valor  and  prowess 
in  earlier  periods  of  Siamese  history. 

The  Grand  Royal  Palace,  the  semi-castellated  residence 
of  the  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  witli  its  roofs  and  spires 
pointed  with  what  seem  to  be  the  horns  of  animals, 
towers  pre-eminent  over  all  the  city.  It  is  a great  cita- 
del, surrounded  by  a triplet  of  walls,  fortified  with  many 
bastions.  Each  of  the  separate  buildings  it  comprises  is 
cruciform ; and  even  the  palace  lately  erected  in  the  style 


TIIE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


133 


of  Windsor  Castle  forms  with  the  old  palace  the  arms  of 
a cross,  as  the  latter  does  with  the  Phrasat,  — and  so  on 
down  to  an  odd  little  conceit  in  architecture,  in  the  Chi- 
nese style  throughout. 

In  front  of  the  old  palace  is  an  ample  enclosure,  paved, 
and  surrounded  with  beautiful  trees  and  rare  plants.  A 
gateway,  guarded  by  a pair  of  colossal  lions  and  two 
gigantic  and  frightful  nondescripts,  half  demon,  half 
human,  leads  to  the  old  palace,  now  almost  abandoned. 
Beyond  this,  and  within  the  third  or  innermost  wall,  is 
the  true  heart  of  the  citadel,  the  quarters  of  the  women 
of  the  harem.  This  is  in  itself  a sort  of  miniature  city, 
with  streets,  shops,  bazaars,  and  gardens,  all  occupied  and 
tended  by  women  only.  Outside  are  the  observatory  and 
watch-tower. 

Some  of  the  grandest  and  most  beautiful  temples  and 
pagodas  of  Siam  are  in  this  part  of  the  city.  On  one 
side  of  the  palace  are  the  temples  and  monasteries  dedi- 
cated to  the  huge  Sleeping  Idol,  and  on  the  other  the 
mass  of  buildings  that  constitute  the  palace  and  harem 
of  the  Second  King.  From  these  two  palaces  broad  streets 
extend  for  several  miles,  occupied  on  either  side  by  the 
principal  shops  and  bazaars  of  Bangkok. 

Leaving  the  Grand  Palace,  a short  walk  to  the  right 
brings  us  to  the  monuments,  already  mentioned,  of  the 
three  warrior  kings.  From  noble  pedestals  of  fine  black 
granite,  adorned  at  top  and  bottom  with  cornices  and 
rings  of  ivory,  carved  in  mythological  forms  of  animals, 
birds,  and  flowers,  rise  conical  pillars  about  fifty  feet  high. 
The  columns  themselves  are  in  mosaic,,  with  diverse  mate- 
rial inlaid  upon  the  solid  masonry  so  carefully  that  the 
cement  can  hardly  be  detected.  Ko  two  patterns  are 
the  same,  striking  effects  of  form  and  color  have  been 
studied,  and  the  result  is  beautiful  beyond  description. 
Close  beside  these  a third  pillar  was  lately  in  process  of 


134 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


erection,  to  the  memory  of  the  good  King  P’hra-Phen-den 
Klang,  father  of  his  late  Majesty,  Somdetch  P’hra-Para- 
mendr  Maha  Mongkut. 

On  the  outer  skirt  of  the  walled  town  stands  the  tem- 
ple Watt  Brahmanee  Waid,  dedicated  to  the  divinity 
to  whom  the  control  of  the  universe  has  been  ascribed 
from  the  most  ancient  times.  His  temple  is  the  only 
shrine  of  a Braliminical  deity  that  the  followers  of  Buddha 
have  not  dared  to  abolish.  Intelligent  Buddhists  hold 
that  he  exists  in  the  latent  forces  of  nature,  that  his  only 
attribute  is  benevolence,  though  he  is  capable  of  a just 
indignation,  and  that  within  the  scope  of  his  mental 
vision  are  myriads  of  worlds  yet  to  come.  But  he  is  said 
to  have  no  form,  no  voice,  no  odor,  no  color,  no  active 
creative  power,  — a subtile,  fundamental  principle  of 
nature,  pervading  all  things,  influencing  all  things.  This 
belief  in  Brahma  is  so  closely  interwoven  with  all  that  is 
best  in  the  morals  and  customs  of  the  people,  that  it 
would  seem  as  though  Buddha  himself  had  been  careful 
to  leave  unchallenged  this  one  idea  in  the  mythology  of 
the  Hindoos.  The  temple  includes  a royal  monastery, 
which  only  the  sons  of  kings  can  enter. 

Opposite  the  Brahmanee  Watt,  at  the  distance  of  about 
a mile,  are  the  extensive  grounds  and  buildings  of  Watt 
Sah  Kate,  the  great  national  burning-place  of  the  dead. 
Within  these  mysterious  precincts  the  Buddhist  rite  of 
cremation  is  performed,  with  circumstances  more  or  less 
horrible,  according  to  the  condition  or  the  superstition  of 
the  deceased.  A broad  canal  surrounds  the  temple  and 
yards,  and  here,  night  and  day,  priests  watch  and  pray  for 
the  regeneration  of  mankind.  Not  alone  the  dead,  but 
the  living  likewise,  are  given  to  be  burned  in  secret  here ; 
and  into  this  canal,  at  dead  of  night,  are  flung  the  rash 
wretches  who  have  madly  dared  to  oppose  with  speech  or 
act  the  powers  that  rule  in  Siam.  None  but  the  initiated 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


135 


will  approach  these  grounds  after  sunset,  so  universal  and 
profound  is  the  horror  the  place  inspires,  — a place  the 
most  frightful  and  offensive  known  to  mortal  eyes ; for 
here  the  vows  of  dead  men,  howsoever  ghoulish  and  mon- 
strous, are  consummated.  The  walls  are  hung  with 
human  skeletons  and  the  ground  is  strewed  with  human 
skulls.  Here  also  are  scraped  together  the  horrid  frag- 
ments of  those  who  have  bequeathed  their  carcasses  to 
the  hungry  dogs  and  vultures,  that  hover,  and  prowl,  and 
swoop,  and  pounce,  and  snarl,  and  scream,  and  tear.  The 
half-picked  bones  are  gathered  and  burned  by  the  outcast 
keepers  of  the  temple  (not  priests),  who  receive  from  the 
nearest  relative  of  the  infatuated  testator  a small  fee  for 
that  final  service ; and  so  a Buddhist  vow  is  fulfilled,  and 
a Buddhist  “ deed  of  merit  ” accomplished. 

Bangkok,  the  modern  seat  of  government  of  Siam,  has 
(according  to  the  best  authorities)  two  hundred  thou- 
sand floating  dwellings  and  shops,  — to  each  house  an 
average  of  five  souls,  — making  the  population  of  the  city 
about  one  million  ; of  which  number  more  than  eighty 
thousand  are  Chinese,  twenty  thousand  Birmese,  fifteen 
thousand  Arabs  and  Indians,  and  the  remainder  Siamese. 
These  figures  are  from  the  latest  census,  which,  however, 
must  not  be  accepted  as  perfectly  accurate. 

The  situation  of  the  city  is  unique  and  picturesque. 
When  Ayudia  was  “ extinguished,”  and  the  capital  estab- 
lished at  Bangkok,  the  houses  were  at  first  built  on  the 
banks  of  the  river.  But  so  frequent  were  the  invasions 
of  cholera,  that  one  of  the  kings  happily  commanded  the 
people  to  build  on  the  river  itself,  that  they  might  have 
greater  cleanliness  and  better  ventilation.  The  result 
quickly  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  measure.  The  privi- 
lege of  building  on  the  banks  is  now  confined  to  mem- 
bers of  the  royal  family,  the  nobility,  and  residents  of 
acknowledged  influence,  political  or  commercial. 


136 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


At  night  the  city  is  hung  with  thousands  of  covered 
lights,  that  illuminate  the  wide  river  from  shore  to  shore. 
Lamps  and  lanterns  of  all  imaginable  shapes,  colors,  and 
sizes  combine  to  form  a fairy  spectacle  of  enchanting 
brilliancy  and  beauty.  The  floating  tenements  and  shops, 
the  masts  of  vessels,  the  tall,  fantastic  pagodas  and  min- 
arets, and,  crowning  all,  the  walls  and  towers  of  the  Grand 
Palace,  flash  with  countless  charming  tricks  of  light,  and 
compose  a scene  of  more  than  magic  novelty  and  beauty. 
So  oriental  fancy  and  profusion  deal  with  things  of  use, 
and  make  a wonder  of  a commonplace. 

A double,  and  in  some  parts  a triple,  row  of  floating 
houses  extends  for  miles  along  the  banks  of  the  river. 
These  are  wooden  structures,  tastefully  designed  and 
painted,  raised  on  substantial  rafts  of  bamboo  linked  to- 
gether witli  chains,  which,  in  turn,  are  made  fast  to  great 
piles  planted  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  The  Meinam 
itself  forms  the  main  avenue,  and  the  floating  shops  on 
either  side  constitute  the  great  bazaar  of  the  city,  where 
all  imaginable  and  unimaginable  articles  from  India, 
China,  Malacca,  Birmah,  Paris,  Liverpool,  and  New  York 
are  displayed  in  stalls. 

Naturally,  boats  and  canoes  are  indispensable  appen- 
dages to  such  houses  ; the  nobility  possess  a fleet  of  them, 
and  to  every  little,  water-cottage  a canoe  is  tethered,  for 
errands  and  visits.  At  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night  pro- 
cessions of  boats  pass  to  and  from  the  palace,  and  every- 
where bustling  traders  and  agents  ply  their  dingy  little 
craft,  and  proclaim  their  several  callings  in  a Babel  of  cries. 

Daily,  at  sunrise,  a flotilla  of  canoes,  filled  with  shaven 
men  in  yellow  garments,  visits  every  house  along  the 
banks.  These  are  the  priests  gathering  their  various  prov- 
ender, the  free  gift  of  every  inhabitant  of  the  city. 
Twenty  thousand  of  them  are  supported  by  the  alms  of 
the  city  of  Bangkok  alone. 


TIIE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


137 


At  noon,  all  the  clamor  of  the  city  is  suddenly  stilled, 
and  perfect  silence  reigns.  Men,  women,  and  children 
are  hushed  in  their  afternoon  nap.  From  the  stilling 
heat  of  a tropical  midday  the  still  cattle  seek  shelter 
and  repose  under  shady  boughs,  and  even  the  crows  cease 
their  obstreperous  clanging.  The  only  sound  that  breaks 
the  drowsy  stillness  of  the  hour  is  the  rippling  of  the 
glaring  river  as  it  ebbs  or  flows  under  the  steaming 
banks. 

About  three  in  the  afternoon  the  sea-breeze  sets  in, 
bringing  refreshment  to  the  fevered,  thirsty  land,  and  re- 
viving animal  and  vegetable  life  with  its  compassionate 
breath.  Then  once  more  the  floating  city  awakes  and 
stirs,  and  an  animation  rivalling  that  of  the  morning  is 
prolonged  far  into  the  night,  — the  busy,  gay,  delightful 
night  of  Bangkok. 

The  streets  are  few  compared  with  the  number  of 
canals  that  intersect  the  city  in  all  directions.  The  most 
remarkable  of  the  former  is  one  that  runs  parallel  with 
the  Grand  Palace,  and  terminates  in  what  is  now  known 
as  “ Sanon  Mai,”  or  the  New  Road,  which  extends  from 
Bangkok  to  Paknam,  about  forty  miles,  and  crosses  the 
canals  on  movable  iron  bridges.  Almost  every  other 
house  along  this  road  is  a shop,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
wet  season  Bangkok  has  no  rival  in  the  abundance  of 
vegetables  and  fruits  with  which  its  markets  are  stocked. 

I could  wish  for  a special  dispensation  to  pass  without 
mention  the  public  prisons  of  Bangkok,  for  their  condi- 
tion and  the  treatment  of  the  unhappy  wretches  con- 
fined in  them  are  the  foulest  blots  on  the  character  of  the 
government.  Some  of  these  grated  abominations  are 
hung  like  bird-cages  over  the  water ; and  those  on  land, 
with  their  gangs  of  living  corpses  chained  together  like 
wild  beasts,  are  too  horrible  to  be  pictured  here.  How 
European  officials,  representatives  of  Christian  ideas  of 


138 


TIIE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK 


humanity  and  decency,  can  continue  to  countenance  the 
apathy  or  wilful  brutality  of  the  prime  minister,  who,  as 
the  executive  officer  of  the  government  in  this  depart- 
ment, is  mainly  responsible  for  the  cruelties  and  outrages 
I may  not  even  name,  I cannot  conceive. 

The  American  Protestant  missionaries  have  as  yet 
made  no  remarkable  impression  on  the  religious  mind  of 
the  Siamese.  Devoted,  persevering,  and  patient  laborers, 
the  held  they  have  so  faithfully  tilled  has  rewarded  them 
with  but  scanty  fruits.  Nor  will  the  fact,  thankless 
though  it  be,  appear  surprising  to  those  whose  privilege 
it  has  been  to  observe  the  Buddhist  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  side  by  side  in  the  East,  and  to  note  how,  even 
on  the  score  of  doctrine,  they  meet  without  a jar  at  many 
points.  The  average  Siamese  citizen,  entering  a Roman 
Catholic  chapel  in  Bangkok,  finds  nothing  there  to  shock 
his  prejudices.  He  is  introduced  to  certain  forms  and 
ceremonies,  almost  the  counterpart  of  which  he  piously 
reveres  in  his  own  temple,  — genuflections,  prostrations, 
decorated  shrines,  lighted  candles,  smoking  incense,  holy 
water ; while  the  prayers  he  hears  are  at  least  not  less 
intelligible  to  him  than  those  he  hears  mumbled  in  Pali 
by  his  own  priests.  He  beholds  familiar  images  too,  and 
pictures  of  a Saviour  in  whom  he  charitably  recognizes  the 
stranger’s  Buddha.  And  if  he  happen  to  be  a philosophic 
inquirer,  how  surprised  and  pleased  is  he  to  learn  that 
the  priests  of  this  faith  (like  his  own)  are  vowed  to  chas- 
tity, poverty,  and  obedience,  and,  like  his  own,  devoted  to 
the  doing  of  good  works,  penance,  and  alms.  There  are 
many  thousands  of  native  converts  to  Catholicism  in 
Siam ; even  the  priests  of  Buddhism  do  not  always  turn 
a deaf  ear  to  the  persuasions  of  teachers  bound  with  them 
in  the  bonds  of  celibacy,  penance,  and  deeds  of  merit. 
And  those  teachers  are  quick  to  meet  them  half-way,  hap- 
pily recommending  themselves  by  the  alacrity  with  which 


THE  CITY  OF  BANGKOK. 


139 


they  adopt,  and  make  their  own,  usages  which  they  may 
with  propriety  practise  in  common,  whereby  the  Buddhist 
is  flattered  while  the  Christian  is  not  offended.  Such,  for 
example,  is  the  monastic  custom  of  the  uncovered  head. 
As  it  is  deemed  sacrilege  to  touch  the  head  of  royalty,  so 
the  head  of  the  priest  may  not  without  dishonor  pass 
under  anything  less  hallowed  than  the  canopy  of  heaven ; 
and  in  this  Buddhist  and  Boman  Catholic  accord. 

The  residences  of  the  British,  French,  American,  and 
Portuguese  Consuls  are  pleasantly  situated  in  a bend  of 
the  river,  where  a flight  of  wooden  steps  in  good  repair 
leads  directly  to  the  houses  of  the  officials  and  European 
merchants  of  that  quarter.  Most  influential  among  the 
latter  is  the  managing  firm  of  the  Borneo  Company,  whose 
factories  and  warehouses  for  rice,  sugar,  and  cotton  are 
extensive  and  prosperous. 

The  more  opulent  of  the  native  merchants  are  grossly 
addicted  to  gambling  and  opium-smoking.  Though  the 
legal  penalties  prescribed  for  all  who  indulge  in  these 
destructive  vices  are  severe,  they  do  not  avail  to  deter 
even  respectable  officers  of  the  government  from  staking 
heavy  sums  on  the  turn  of  a card ; and  long  before  the 
game  is  ended  the  opium-pipe  is  introduced.  One  of  the 
king’s  secretaries,  who  was  a confirmed  opium-smoker, 
assured  me  he  would  rather  die  at  once  than  be  excluded 
from  the  region  of  raptures  his  pipe  opened  to  him. 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


IT  is  commonly  supposed  that  the  Buddhists  of  Siam 
and  Birmah  regard  the  Chang  Plioouk,  or  white  ele- 
phant, as  a deity,  and  worship  it  accordingly.  The  notion 
is  erroneous,  especially  as  it  relates  to  Siam.  The  Buddh- 
ists do  not  recognize  God  in  any  material  form  what- 
ever, and  are  shocked  at  the  idea  of  adoring  an  ele- 
phant. Even  Buddha,  to  whom  they  undoubtedly  offer 
pious  homage,  they  do  not  style  “ God,”  but  on  the  con- 
trary maintain  that,  though  an  emanation  from  a “ subli- 
mated ethereal  being,”  he  is  by  no  means  a deity.  Ac- 
cording to  their  philosophy  of  metempsychosis,  however, 
each  successive  Buddha,  in  passing  through  a series  of 
transmigrations,  must  necessarily  have  occupied  in  turn 
the  forms  of  white  animals  of  a certain  class,  — particu- 
larly the  swan,  the  stork,  the  white  sparrow,  the  dove,  the 
monkey,  and  the  elephant.  But  there  is  much  obscurity 
and  diversity  in  the  views  of  their  ancient  writers  on  this 
subject.  Only  one  thing  is  certain,  that  the  forms  of 
these  nobler  and  purer  creatures  are  reserved  for  the  souls 
of  the  good  and  great,  who  find  in  them  a kind  of  redemp- 
tion from  the  baser  animal  life.  Thus  almost  all  white 
animals  are  held  in  reverence  by  the  Siamese,  because 
they  were  once  superior  human  beings,  and  the  white  ele- 
phant, in  particular,  is  supposed  to  be  animated  by  the 
spirit  of  some  king  or  hero.  Having  once  been  a great 
man,  lie  is  thought  to  be  familiar  with  the  dangers  that 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


141 


surround  the  great,  and  to  know  what  is  best  and  safest 
for  those  whose  condition  in  all  respects  was  once  his 
own.  He  is  hence  supposed  to  avert  national  calamity, 
and  bring  prosperity  and  peace  to  a people. 

From  the  earliest  times  the  kings  of  Siam  and  Birmah 
have  anxiously  sought  for  the  white  elephant,  and  having- 
had  the  rare  fortune  to  procure  one,  have  loaded  it  with 
gifts  and  dignities,  as  though  it  were  a conscious  favorite 
of  the  throne.  When  the  governor  of  a province  of  Siam 
is  notified  of  the  appearance  of  a white  elephant  within 
his  bailiwick,  he  immediately  commands  that  prayers  and 
offerings  shall  be  made  in  all  the  temples,  while  he  sends 
out  a formidable  expedition  of  hunters  and  slaves  to  take 
the  precious  beast,  and  bring  it  in  in  triumph.  As  soon 
as  he  is  informed  of  its  capture,  a special  messenger  is 
despatched  to  inform  the  king  of  its  sex,  probable  age, 
size,  complexion,  deportment,  looks,  and  ways  ; and  in  the 
presence  of  his  Majesty  this  bearer  of  glorious  tidings  un- 
dergoes the  painfully  pleasant  operation  of  having  his 
mouth,  ears,  and  nostrils  stuffed  with  gold.  Especially  is 
the  lucky  wight  — perhaps  some  half-wild  woodsman  — 
who  was  first  to  spy  the  illustrious  monster  munificently 
rewarded.  Orders  are  promptly  issued  to  the  woons  and 
wongses  of  the  several  districts  through  which  he  must 
pass  to  prepare  to  receive  him  royally,  and  a wide  path  is 
cut  for  him  through  the  forests  he  must  traverse  on  his 
way  to  the  capital.  Wherever  he  rests  he  is  sumptu- 
ously entertained,  and  everywhere  he  is  escorted  and 
served  by  a host  of  attendants,  who  sing,  dance,  play 
upon  instruments,  and  perform  feats  of  strength  or  skill 
for  his  amusement,  until  he  reaches  the  banks  of  the 
Meinam,  where  a great  floating  palace  of  wood,  sur- 
mounted by  a gorgeous  roof  and  hung  with  crimson  cur- 
tains, awaits  him.  The  roof  is  literally  thatched  with 
flowers  ingeniously  arranged  so  ns  to  form  symbols  and 


142 


TIIE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


mottoes,  which  the  superior  beast  is  supposed  to  decipher 
with  ease.  The  floor'  of  this  splendid  float  is  laid  with 
gilt  matting  curiously  woven,  in  the  centre  of  which  his 
four-footed  lordship  is  installed  in  state,  surrounded  by 
an  obsequious  and  enraptured  crowd  of  mere  bipeds,  who 
bathe  him,  perfume  him,  fan  him,  feed  him,  sing  and  play 
to  him,  flatter  him.  His  food  consists  of  the  finest  herbs, 
the  tenderest  grass,  the  sweetest  sugar-cane,  the  mellowest 
plantains,  the  brownest  cakes  of  wheat,  served  on  huge 
trays  of  gold  and  silver ; and  his  drink  is  perfumed  with 
the  fragrant  flower  of  the  dok  mallee,  the  large  native 
jessamine. 

Thus,  in  more  than  princely  state,  he  is  floated  down 
the  river  to  a point  within  seventy  miles  of  the  capital, 
where  the  king  and  his  court,  all  the  chief  personages  of 
the  kingdom,  and  a multitude  of  priests,  both  Buddhist 
and  Brahmin,  accompanied  by  troops  of  players  and 
musicians,  come  out  to  meet  him,  and  conduct  him  with 
all  the  honors  to  his  stable-palace.  A great  number  of 
cords  and  ropes  of  all  qualities  and  lengths  are  attached 
to  the  raft,  those  in  the  centre  being  of  fine  silk  (figura- 
tively, “ spun  from  a spider’s  web  ”).  These  are  for  the 
king  and  his  noble  retinue,  who  with  their  own  hands 
make  them  fast  to  their  gilded  barges  ; the  rest  are  se- 
cured to  the  great  fleet  of  lesser  boats.  And  so,  with 
shouts  of  joy,  beating  of  drums,  blare  of  trumpets,  boom 
of  cannon,  a hallelujah  of  music,  and  various  splendid 
revelry,  the  great  Chang  Phoouk  is  conducted  in  triumph 
to  the  capital. 

Here  in  a pavilion,  temporary  but  very  beautiful,  he 
is  welcomed  with  imposing  ceremonies  by  the  custo- 
dians of  the  palace  and  the  principal  personages  of  the 
royal  household.  The  king,  his  courtiers,  and  the  chief 
priests  being  gathered  round  him,  thanksgiving  is  offered 
up ; and  then  the  lordly  beast  is  knighted,  after  the  an- 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


143 


cient  manner  of  the  Buddhists,  by  pouring  upon  his  fore- 
head consecrated  water  from  a chank-sliell. 

The  titles  reserved  for  the  Chang  Phoouk  vary  accord- 
ing to  the  purity  of  the  complexion  (for  these  favored  crea- 
tures are  rarely  true  albinos,  — salmon  or  flesh-color  being 
the  nearest  approach  to  white  in  almost  all  the  historic 
“ white  elephants  ” of  the  courts  of  Birmah  and  Siam) 
and  the  sex ; for  though  one  naturally  has  recourse  to  the 
masculine  pronoun  in  writing  of  a transmigrated  prince 
or  warrior,  it  often  happens  that  prince  or  warrior  has,  in 
the  medlied  mask  of  metempsychosis,  assumed  a female 
form.  Such,  in  fact,  was  the  case  with  the  stately  occupant 
of  the  stable-palace  at  the  court  of  Maha  Mongkut ; and 
she  was  distinguished  by  the  high-sounding  appellation 
of  Maa  Phya  Seri  Wongsah  Ditsarah  Krasaat, — “August 
and  Glorious  Mother,  Descendant  of  Kings  and  Heroes.” 

For  seven  or  nine  days,  according  to  certain  conditions, 
the  Chang  Phoouk  is  feted  at  the  temporary  pavilion,  and 
entertained  with  a variety  of  dramatic  performances  ; and 
these  days  are  observed  as  a general  holiday  throughout 
tire  land.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period  he  is  con- 
ducted with  great  pomp  to  his  sumptuous  quarters  within 
the  precincts  of  the  first  king’s  palace,  where  he  is  re- 
ceived by  his  own  court  of  officers,  attendants,  and  slaves, 
who  install  him  in  his  fine  lodgings,  and  at  once  proceed 
to  robe  and  decorate  him.  First,  the  court  jeweller  rings 
his  tremendous  tusks  with  massive  gold,  crowns  him  with 
a diadem  of  beaten  gold  of  perfect  purity,  and  adorns  his 
burly  neck  with  heavy  golden  chains.  Next  his  attend- 
ants robe  him  in  a superb  velvet  cloak  of  purple,  fringed 
with  scarlet  and  gold  ; and  then  his  court  prostrate  them- 
selves around  him,  and  offer  him  royal  homage. 

"When  his  lordship  would  refresh  his  portly  person  in 
the  bath,  an  officer  of  high  rank  shelters  his  noble  head 
with  a great  umbrella  of  crimson  and  gold,  while  others 


144 


TIIE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


wave  golden  fans  before  him.  On  these  occasions  he  is 
invariably  preceded  by  musicians,  who  announce  his  ap- 
proach with  cheerful  minstrelsy  and  songs. 

If  he  falls  ill,  the  king’s  own  leech  prescribes  for  him, 
and  the  chief  priests  repair  daily  to  his  palace  to  pray  for 
his  safe  deliverance,  and  sprinkle  him  with  consecrated 
waters  and  anoint  him  with  consecrated  oils.  Should  he 
die,  all  Siam  is  bereaved,  and  the  nation,  as  one  man, 
goes  into  mourning  for  him.  But  his  body  is  not  burned ; 
only  his  brains  and  heart  are  thought  worthy  of  that  last 
and  highest  honor.  The  carcass,  shrouded  in  fine  white 
linen,  and  laid  on  a bier,  is  carried  down  the  river  with 
much  wailing  and  many  mournful  dirges,  to  be  thrown 
into  the  Gulf  of  Siam. 

In  1862  a magnificent  white  — or,  rather,  salmon-col- 
ored — elephant  was  “ bagged,”  and  preparations  on  a 
gorgeous  scale  were  made  to  receive  him.  A temporary 
pavilion  of  extraordinary  splendor  sprang  up,  as  if  by 
magic,  before  the  eastern  gate  of  the  palace ; and  the 
whole  nation  was  wild  with  joy ; when  suddenly  came 
awful  tidings,  — he  had  died! 

No  man  dared  tell  the  king.  But  the  Kralahome  — 
that  man  of  prompt  expedients  and  unfailing  presence  of 
mind  — commanded  that  the  preparations  should  cease 
instantly,  and  that  the  building  should  vanish  with  the 
builders.  In  the  evening  his  Majesty  came  forth,  as 
usual,  to  exult  in  the  glorious  work.  What  was  his  as- 
tonishment to  find  no  vestige  of  the  splendid  structure 
that  had  been  so  nearly  completed  the  night  before.  He 
turned,  bewildered,  to  his  courtiers,  to  demand  an  explan- 
ation, when  suddenly  the  terrible  truth  flashed  into  his 
mind.  With  a cry  of  pain  he  sank  down  upon  a stone, 
and  gave  vent  to  an  hysterical  passion  of  tears ; but  was 
presently  consoled  by  one  of  his  children,  who,  carefully 
prompted  in  his  part,  knelt  before  him  and  said ; “ Weep 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


145 


not,  0 my  father  ! The  stranger  lord  may  have  left  us 
but  for  a time.”  The  stranger  lord,  fatally  pampered, 
had  succumbed  to  astonishment  and  indigestion. 

A few  days  after  this  mournful  event  the  king  read  to 
me  a curious  description  of  the  defunct  monster,  and 
showed  me  parts  of  his  skin  preserved,  and  his  tusks, 
which  in  size  and  whiteness  surpassed  the  finest  I had 
ever  seen.  “ His  (that  is,  the  elephant’s)  eyes  were  light 
blue,  surrounded  by  salmon-color ; his  hair  fine,  soft,  and 
white  ; his  complexion  pinkish  white ; his  tusks  like  long 
pearls  ; his  ears  like  silver  shields ; his  trunk  like  a 
comet’s  tail ; his  legs  like  the  feet  of  the  skies  ; his  tread 
like  the  sound  of  thunder ; his  looks  full  of  meditation ; 
his  expression  full  of  tenderness ; his  voice  the  voice  of 
a mighty  warrior;  and  his  bearing  that  of  an  illustrious 
monarch.” 

That  was  a terrible  affliction,  to  the  people  not  less 
than  to  the  king. 

On  all  occasions  of  state,  — court  receptions,  for  example, 
— the  white  elephant,  gorgeously  arrayed,  is  stationed  on 
the  right  of  the  inner  gate  of  the  palace,  and  forms  an  in- 
dispensable as  well  as  a conspicuous  figure  in  the  picture. 

When  the  Siamese  ambassadors  returned  from  England, 
the  chief  of  the  embassy  — a man  remarkable  for  his  learn- 
ing and  the  purity  of  his  character,  who  was  also  first  cous- 
in to  the  Supreme  King — published  a quaint  pamphlet, 
describing  England  and  her  people,  their  manners  and  cus- 
toms and  dwellings,  with  a very  particular  report  of  the 
presentation  of  the  embassy  at  court.  Speaking  of  the  per- 
sonal appearance  of  Queen  Victoria,  he  says  : “ One  can- 
not but  be  struck  with  the  aspect  of  the  august  Queen  of 
England,  or  fail  to  observe  that  she  must  be  of  pure  descent 
from  a race  of  goodly  and  warlike  kings  and  rulers  of  the 
earth,  in  that  her  eyes,  complexion,  and  above  all  her  bear- 
ing, are  those  of  a beautiful  and  majestic  white  elephant.” 
7 j 


XVII. 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  CORONATION. 

N the  morning  of  the  3d  of  April,  1851,  the  Chowfa 


Mongkut,  after  being  formally  apprised  of  his  elec- 
tion by  the  Senabawdee  to  the  supreme  throne,  was  borne 
in  state  to  a residence  adjoining  the  Phrasat,  to  await 
the  auspicious  day  of  coronation,  — the  15th  of  the  follow- 
ing month,  as  fixed  by  the  court  astrologers ; and  when  it 
came  it  was  hailed  by  all  classes  of  the  people  with  im- 
moderate demonstrations  of  joy  ; for  to  their  priest  king, 
more  sacred  than  a conqueror,  they  were  drawn  by  bonds 
of  superstition  as  well  as  of  pride  and  affection. 

The  ceremony  of  coronation  is  very  peculiar. 

In  the  centre  of  the  inner  Hall  of  Audience  of  the 
royal  palace,  on  a high  platform  richly  gilded  and  adorned, 
is  placed  a circular  golden  basin,  called,  in  the  court  lan- 
guage, Mangala  Baghavat-tliong , “ the  Golden  Circlet  of 
Power.”  Within  this  basin  is  deposited  the  ancient  P’Jtra- 
batt,  or  golden  stool,  the  whole  being  surmounted  by  a quad- 
rangular canopy,  under  a tapering,  nine-storied  umbrella 
in  the  form  of  a pagoda,  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  high  and 
profusely  gilt.  Directly  over  the  centre  of  the  canopy  is 
deposited  a vase  containing  consecrated  waters,  which 
have  been  prayed  over  nine  times,  and  poured  through 
nine  different  circular  vessels  in  their  passage  to  the 
sacred  receptacle.  These  waters  must  be  drawn  from  the 
very  sources  of  the  chief  rivers  of  Siam ; and  reservoii-s 
for  their  preservation  are  provided  in  the  precincts  of  the 
temples  at  Bangkok 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  CORONATION. 


147 


In.  the  mouth  of  this  vessel  is  a tube  representing  the 
pericarp  of  a lotos  after  its  petals  have  fallen  off;  and 
this,  called  Sulci  a Utnpala  Atmano,  “ the  White  Lotos  of 
Life,”  symbolizes  the  beauty  of  pure  conduct. 

The  king  elect,  arrayed  in  a simple  white  robe,  takes 
his  seat  on  the  golden  stool.  A Brahmin  priest  then 
presents  to  him  some  water  in  a small  cup  of  gold,  lotos- 
shaped. This  water  has  previously  been  filtered  through 
nine  different  forms  of  matter,  commencing  with  earth, 
then  ashes,  wheaten  flour,  rice  flour,  powdered  lotos  and 
jessamine,  dust  of  iron,  gold,  and  charcoal,  and  finally 
flame  ; each  a symbol,  not  merely  of  the  indestructibility 
of  the  element,  but  also  of  its  presence  in  all  animate  or 
inanimate  matter.  Into  this  water  the  king  elect  dips  his 
right  hand,  and  passes  it  over  his  head.  Immediately  the 
choir  join  in  an  inspiring  chant,  the  signal  for  the  invert- 
ing, by  means  of  a pulley,  of  the  vessel  over  the  canopy  ; 
and  the  consecrated  waters  descend  through  another  lotos 
flower,  in  a lively  shower,  on  the  head  of  the  king.  This 
shower  represents  celestial  blessings. 

A Buddhist  priest  then  advances  and  pours  a goblet  of 
water  over  the  royal  person.  He  is  imitated,  first  by  the 
Brahmin  priests,  next  by  the  princes  and  princesses  royal. 
The  vessels  used  for  this  purpose  are  of  the  chank  or 
conch  shell,  richly  ornamented.  Then  come  the  nobles 
of  highest  rank,  bearing  cups  of  gold,  silver,  earthen-ware, 
pinchbeck,  samil,  and  tankwah  (metallic  compositions  pe- 
culiar to  Siam).  The  materials  of  which  the  vessels  for 
this  royal  bath  are  composed  must  be  of  not  less  than 
seven  kinds.  Last  of  all,  the  prime  minister  of  the  realm 
advances  with  a cup  of  iron ; and  the  sacred  bath  is 
finished. 

Now  the  king  descends  into  the  golden  basin,  “ Man- 
gala  Baghavat-thong,”  where  he  is  anointed  with  nine  va- 
rieties of  perfumed  oil,  and  dipped  in  fine  dust  brought 


148 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  CORONATION. 


from  tlie  bed  of  the  Ganges.  He  is  then  arrayed  in  regal 
robes. 

On  the  throne,  which  is  in  the  south  end  of  the  hall, 
and  octagonal,  having  eight  seats  corresponding  to  eight 
points  of  the  compass,  the  king  first  seats  himself  facing 
the  north,  and  so  on,  moving  eastward,  facing  each  point 
in  its  order.  On  the  top  step  of  each  seat  crouch  two 
priests,  Buddhist  and  Brahmin,  who  present  to  him  an- 
other bowl  of  water,  which  he  drinks  and  sprinkles  on 
his  face,  each  time  repeating,  by  responses  with  the 
priests,  the  following  prayer : — 

Priests.  Be  thou  learned  in  the  laws  of  nature  and  of 
the  universe. 

King.  Inspire  me,  0 Thou  who  wert  a Law  unto  thy- 
self ! 

P.  Be  thou  endowed  with  all  wisdom,  and  all  acts  of 
industry ! 

K.  Inspire  me  with  all  knowledge,  0 Thou  the  En- 
lightened ! 

P.  Let  Mercy  and  Truth  be  thy  right  and  left  arms  of 
life! 

K.  Inspire  me,  0 Thou  who  hast  proved  all  Truth  and 
all  Mercy ! 

P.  Let  the  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars  bless  thee  ! 

K.  All  praise  to  Thee,  through  whom  all  forms  are  con- 
quered ! 

P.  Let  the  earth,  air,  and  waters  bless  thee ! 

K.  Through  the  merit  of  Thee,  0 thou  conqueror  of 
Death ! * 

These  prayers  ended,  the  priests  conduct  the  king  to 
another  throne,  facing  the  east,  and  still  more  magnificent. 
Here  the  insignia  of  his  sovereignty  are  presented  to 

* For  these  translations  I am  indebted  to  his  Majesty,  Maha  Mongkut ; 
as  well  as  for  the  interpretation  of  the  several  symbols  used  in  this  and 
other  solemn  rites  of  the  Buddhists. 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  CORONATION. 


149 


him,  — first  the  sword,  then  the  sceptre ; two  massive 
chains  are  suspended  from  his  neck  ; and  lastly  the  crown 
is  set  upon  his  head,  when  instantly  he  is  saluted  by  roar 
of  cannon  without  and  music  within. 

The.i  he  is  presented  with  the  golden  slippers,  the 
fan,  and  the  umbrella  of  royalty,  rings  set  with  huge  dia- 
monds for  each  of  his  forefingers,  and  the  various  Siamese 
weapons  of  war : those  he  merely  accepts,  and  returns  to 
his  attendants. 

The  ceremony  concludes  with  an  address  from  the 
priests,  exhorting  him  to  be  pure  in  his  sovereign  and 
sacred  office ; and  a reply  from  himself,  wherein  he  sol- 
emnly vows  to  be  a just,  upright,  and  faithful  ruler  of  his 
people.  Last  of  all,  a golden  tray  is  handed  to  him,  from 
which,  as  he  descends  from  the  throne,  he  scatters  gold 
and  silver  flowers  among  the  audience. 

The  following  day  is  devoted  to  a more  public  enthrone- 
ment. His  Majesty,  attired  more  sumptuously  than  be- 
fore, is  presented  to  all  his  court,  and  to  a more  general 
audience.  After  the  customary  salutations  by  prostra- 
tion and  salutes  of  cannon  and  music,  the  premier  and 
other  principal  ministers  read  short  addresses,  in  deliver- 
ing over  to  the  king  the  control  of  their  respective  depart- 
ments. His  Majesty  replies  briefly ; there  is  a general 
salute  from  all  forts,  war  vessels,  and  merchant  shipping  ; 
and  the  remainder  of  the  day  is  devoted  to  feasting  and 
various  enjoyment. 

Immediately  after  the  crowning  of  Maha  Mongkut,  his 
Majesty  repaired  to  the  palace  of  the  Second  King,  where 
the  ceremony  of  subordinate  coronation  differed  from  that 
just  described  only  in  the  circumstance  that  the  conse- 
crated waters  were  poured  over  the  person  of  the  Second 
King,  and  the  insignia  presented  to  him,  by  the  supreme 
sovereign 

Five  days  later  a public  procession  made  the  circuit  of 


150 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  CORONATION. 


the  palace  and  city  walls  in  a peculiar  circumambulatory 
march  of  mystic  significance,  with  feasting,  dramatic  en- 
tertainments, and  fireworks.  The  concourse  assembled  to 
take  pai't  in  those  brilliant  demonstrations  has  never  since 
been  equalled  in  any  public  display  in  Siam. 


XVIII. 


THE  QUEEN  CONSOET. 

HEN  a king  of  Siam  would  take  unto  himself  a 


wife,  he  chooses  a maiden  from  a family  of  the 
highest  rank,  and  of  royal  pedigree,  and,  inviting  her  into 
the  guarded  circle  of  his  women,  entertains  her  there  in 
that  peculiar  state  of  probation  which  is  his  prerogative 
and  her  opportunity.  Should  she  prove  so  fortunate  as 
to  engage  his  preference,  it  may  be  his  pleasure  to  exalt 
her  to  the  throne ; in  which  event  he  appoints  a day  for 
the  formal  consummation  of  his  gracious  purpose,  when  the 
principal  officers,  male  and  female,  of  the  court,  with  the 
priests,  Brahmin  as  well  as  Buddhist,  and  the  royal  astrol- 
ogers, attend  to  play  their  several  parts  in  the  important 


The  princess,  robed  in  pure  white,  is  seated  on  a throne 
elevated  on  a high  platform.  Over  this  throne  is  spread 
a canopy  of  white  muslin,  decorated  with  white  and 
fragrant  flowers,  and  through  this  canopy  are  gently 
showered  the  typical  waters  of  consecration,  in  which  have 
been  previously  infused  certain  leaves  and  shrubs  emble- 
matic of  purity,  usefulness,  and  sweetness.  While  the 
princess  is  thus  delicately  sprinkled  with  compliments, 
the  priests  enumerate,  with  nice  discrimination,  the  various 
graces  of  mind  and  person  which  henceforth  she  must 
study  to  acquire  ; and  pray  that  she  may  prove  a bless- 
ing to  her  lord,  and  herself  be  richly  blessed.  Then  she 
is  hailed  queen,  with  a burst  of  exultant  music. 


drama. 


152 


THE  QUEEN  CONSORT. 


Now  the  sisters  of  the  king  conduct  her  by  a screened 
passage  to  a chamber  regally  appointed,  where  she  is 
divested  of  her  dripping  apparel,  and  arrayed  in  robes 
becoming  her  queenly  state,  — robes  of  silk,  heavy  with 
gold,  and  sparkling  with  diamonds  and  rubies.  Then  the 
king  is  ushered  into  her  presence  by  the  ladies  of  the 
court ; and  at  the  moment  of  his  entrance  she  rises  to 
throw  herself  at  his  feet,  according  to  the  universal  cus- 
tom. But  he  prevents  her ; and  taking  her  right  hand, 
and  embracing  her,  seats  her  beside  him,  on  his  right. 
There  she  receives  the  formal  congratulations  of  the  court, 
with  which  the  ceremonies  of  the  day  terminate.  The 
evening  is  devoted  to  feasting  and  merriment. 

A Siamese  king  may  have  two  queens  at  the  same 
time ; in  which  case  tire  more  favored  lady  is  styled  the 
“ right  hand,”  and  the  other  the  “ left  hand,”  of  the  throne. 
His  late  Majesty,  Maha  Mongkut,  had  two  queens,  but 
not  “ in  conjunction.”  The  first  was  of  the  right  hand ; 
the  second,  though  chosen  in  the  lifetime  of  the  first,  was 
not  elevated  to  the  throne  until  after  the  death  of  her 
predecessor. 

When  the  bride  is  a foreign  princess,  the  ceremonies 
are  more  public,  being  conducted  in  the  Hall  of  Audience, 
instead  of  the  Ladies’  Temple,  or  private  chapel. 

The  royal  nuptial  couch  is  consecrated  with  peculiar 
forms.  The  mystic  thread  of  unspun  cotton  is  wound 
around  the  bed  seventy-seven  times,  and  the  ends  held  in 
the  hands  of  priests,  who,  bowing  over  the  sacred  symbol, 
invoke  blessings  on  the  bridal  pair.  Then  the  nearest 
relatives  of  the  bride  are  admitted,  accompanied  by  a 
couple  who,  to  use  the  obstetrical  figure  of  the  indispensa- 
ble Mrs.  Gamp,  have  their  parental  quiver  “ full  of  sich.” 
These  salute  the  bed,  sprinkle  it  with  the  consecrated 
waters,  festoon  the  crimson  curtains  with  flowery  gar- 
lands, and  prepare  the  silken  sheets,  the  pillows  and  cush- 


THE  QUEEN  CONSORT. 


153 


ions  ; which  done,  they  lead  in  the  bride,  who  has  not 
presided  at  the  entertainments,  but  waited  with  her  ladies 
in  a screened  apartment. 

On  entering  the  awful  chamber,  she  first  falls  on  her 
knees,  and  thrice  salutes  the  royal  couch  with  folded 
hands,  and  then  invokes  protection  for  herself,  that  she 
may  be  preserved  from  every  deadly  sin.  Finally,  she  is 
disrobed,  and  left  praying  on  the  floor  before  the  bed, 
while  the  king  is  conducted  to  her  by  his  courtiers,  who 
immediately  retire. 

The  same  ceremony  is  observed  in  nearly  all  Siamese 
families  of  respectability,  with,  of  course,  certain  omis- 
sions and  variations  adapted  to  the  rank  of  the  parties. 

After  three  days  the  bride  visits  her  parents,  bear- 
ing presents  to  them  from  the  various  members  of  her 
husband’s  family.  Then  she  visits  the  parents  of  her 
husband,  who  greet  her  with  costly  gifts.  In  her  next 
excursion  of  this  kind  her  husband  (unless  a king)  accom- 
panies her,  and  valuable  presents  are  mutually  bestowed. 
A large  sum  of  money,  with  jewels  and  other  finery,  is 
deposited  with  the  father  and  mother  of  the  bride.  This 
is  denominated  Zoon,  and  at  the  birth  of  her  first  child 
it  is  restored  to  the  young  mother  by  the  grandparents. 

The  king  visits  his  youthful  queen  just  one  month 
after  the  birth  of  a prince  or  princess.  She  presents  the 
babe  to  him,  and  he,  in  turn,  places  a costly  ring  on  the 
third  finger  of  her  left  hand.  In  like  manner,  most  of 
the  relatives,  of  both  families,  bring  to  the  babe  gifts  of 
money,  jewels,  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  etc.,  which  is 
termed  Tam  Kwaan.  Even  so  early  the  infant’s  hair  is 
shaved  off,  except  the  top-knot,  which  is  permitted  to 
grow  until  the  child  has  arrived  at  the  age  of  puberty. 


7* 


XIX. 


THE  HEIR-APPARENT. — BO YAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

THE  Prince  Somdetch  Chowfa  Chulalonkom*  was 
about  ten  years  old  when  I was  appointed  to  teach 
him.  Being  the  eldest  son  of  the  queen  consort,  he  held 
the  first  rank  among  the  children  of  the  king,  as  heir- 
apparent  to  the  throne.  For  a Siamese,  he  was  a hand- 
some lad ; of  stature  neither  noticeably  tall  nor  short ; 
figure  symmetrical  and  compact,  and  dark  complexion. 
He  was,  moreover,  modest  and  affectionate,  eager  to  learn, 
and  easy  to  influence. 

His  mother  dying  when  he  was  about  nine  years  old, 
he,  with  his  younger  brothers,  the  Princes  Chowfa  Cha- 
turont  Rasmi  and  Chowfa  Bhanurangsi  Swarm  Wongse, 
and  their  lovely  young  sister,  the  Princess  Somdetch 
Chowfa  Chandrmondol  (“  Fa-ying  ”),  were  left  to  the  care 
of  a grand-aunt,  Somdetch  Ying  Noie,  a princess  by  the 
father’s  side.  This  was  a tranquil,  cheerful  old  soul,  at- 
tracted toward  everything  that  was  bright  and  pretty,  and 
ever  busy  among  flowers,  poetry,  and  those  darlings  of 
her  loving  life,  her  niece’s  children.  Of  these  the  little 
Fa-ying  (whose  sudden  death  by  cholera  I have  described) 
was  her  favorite  ; and  after  her  death  the  faithful  creature 
turned  her  dimmed  eyes  and  chastened  pride  to  the 
young  prince  Chulalonkorn.  Many  an  earnest  talk  had 
the  venerable  duchess  and  I,  in  which  she  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  implore  me  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  her  youth- 

* The  present  Supreme  King. 


The  Heir-Apparent. 


THE  HEIR-APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING.  155 

ful  wards  — and  especially  this  king  that  was  to  be  — 
the  purest  principles  of  Christian  faith  and  precept.  Yet 
with  all  the  freshness  of  the  religious  habit  of  her  child- 
hood she  was  most  scrupulous  in  her  attendance  and  de- 
votions at  the  temple.  Her  grief  for  the  death  of  her 
darling  was  deep  and  lasting,  and  by  the  simple  force  of 
her  love  she  exerted  a potent  influence  over  the  mind  of 
the  royal  lad. 

A very  stern  thing  is  life  to  the  children  of  royalty  in 
Siam.  To  watch  and  be  silent,  when  it  has  most  need 
of  confidence  and  freedom, — a horrible  necessity  for  a 
child ! The  very  babe  in  the  cradle  is  taught  mysterious 
and  terrible  things  by  the  mother  that  bore  it,  — in- 
fantile experiences  of  distrust  and  terror,  out  of  which  a 
few  come  up  noble,  the  many  infamous.  Here  are  baby 
heroes  and  heroines  who  do  great  deeds  before  our  hap- 
pier Western  children  have  begun  to  think.  There  were 
actual,  though  unnoticed  and  unconscious,  intrepidity  and 
fortitude  in  the  manoeuvres  and  the  stands  with  which 
those  little  ones,  on  their  own  ground,  flanked  or  checked 
that  fatal  enemy,  their  father.  Angelic  indeed  were  the 
spiritual  triumphs  that  no  eye  noted,  nor  any  smile  re- 
warded, save  the  anxious  eye  and  the  prayerful  smile  of 
that  sleepless  maternity  that  misery  had  bound  with 
them.  But  even  misery  becomes  tolerable  by  first  be- 
coming familiar,  and  out  of  the  depths  these  royal  chil- 
dren laughed  and  prattled  and  frolicked  and  were  glad. 
As  for  the  old  duchess,  she  loved  too  well  and  too  wisely 
not  to  be  timid  and  troubled  all  her  life  long,  first  for  the 
mother,  then  for  the  children. 

Such  was  the  early  training  of  the  young  prince,  and 
for  a time  it  availed  to  direct  his  thoughts  to  noble  as- 
pirations. From  his  studies,  both  in  English  and  Pali,  he 
derived  an  exalted  ideal  of  life,  and  precocious  and  in- 
expressible yearnings.  Once  he  said  to  me  he  envied  the 


156  THE  HEIR-APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

death  of  the  venerable  priest,  his  uncle  ; he  would  rather 
he  poor,  he  said,  and  have  to  earn  his  living,  than  he  a 
king. 

“ ’T  is  true,  a poor  man  must  work  hard  for  his  daily 
bread ; hut  then  he  is  free.  And  his  food  is  all  he  lias 
to  lose  or  win.  He  can  possess  all  things  in  possessing 
Him  who  pervades  all  things,  — earth,  and  sky,  and  stars, 
and  flowers,  and  children.  I can  understand  that  I am 
great  in  that  I am  a part  of  the  Infinite,  and  in  that 
alone ; and  that  all  I see  is  mine,  and  I am  in  it  and  of 
it.  How  much  of  content  and  happiness  should  I not 
gain  if  I could  hut  be  a poor  hoy ! ” 

He  was  attentive  to  his  studies,  serene,  and  gentle, 
invariably  affectionate  to  his  old  aunt  and  his  younger 
brothers,  and  for  the  poor  ever  sympathetic,  with  a warm, 
generous  heart.  He  pursued  his  studies  assiduously,  and 
seemed  to  overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  he  en- 
countered in  the  course  of  them  with  a resolution  that 
gained  strength  as  his  mind  gained  ideas.  As  often  as 
he  effectually  accomplished  something,  he  indulged  in 
ecstasies  of  rejoicing  over  the  new  thought,  that  was  an 
inspiring  discovery  to  him  of  his  actual  poverty  of  knowl- 
edge, his  possibilities  of  intellectual  opulence.  But  it 
was  clear  to  me  — and  I saw  it  with  sorrow  — that  for 
his  ardent  nature  this  was  but  a transitory  condition,  and 
that  soon  the  shock  must  come,  against  the  inevitable 
destiny  in  store  for  him,  that  would  either  confirm  or 
crush  all  that  seemed  so  fair  in  the  promise  of  the  royal 
boy. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  ceremony  of  hair-cutting, 
customary  for  young  Siamese  princes,  the  lad  was  grad- 
ually withdrawn,  more  and  more,  from  my  influence. 
The  king  had  determined  to  celebrate  the  heir’s  majority 
with  displays  of  unusual  magnificence.  To  this  end  he 
explored  the  annals  and  records  of  Siam  and  Cambodia, 


THE  HEIR-APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING.  157 


and  compiled  from  them  a detailed  description  of  a very 
curious  procession  that  attended  a certain  prince  of  Siam 
centuries  ago,  on  the  occasion  of  his  hair-cutting ; and 
forthwith  projected  a similar  show  for  his  son,  but  on  a 
more  elaborate  and  costly  scale.  The  programme,  in- 
cluding the  procession,  provided  for  the  representation  of 
a sort  of  drama,  borrowed  partly  from  the  Eamayana,  and 
partly  from  the  ancient  observances  of  the  kings  of  Cam- 
bodia. 

The  whole  royal  establishment  was  set  in  motion. 
About  nine  thousand  young  women,  among  them  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  concubines,  were  cast  for  parts  in  the 
mammoth  play.  Boys  and  girls  were  invited  or  hired 
from  all  quarters  of  the  kingdom  to  “ assist  ” in  the  per- 
formance. Every  nation  under  the  sun  was  represented 
in  the  grand  procession.  In  our  school  the  regular  studies 
were  abandoned,  and  in  their  place  we  had  rehearsals  of 
singing,  dancing,  recitation,  and  pantomime. 

An  artificial  hill,  of  great  height,  called  Khoa-Kra-Laat, 
was  raised  in  the  centre  of  the  palace  gardens.  On  its 
summit  was  erected  a golden  temple  or  pagoda  of  exquis- 
ite beauty,  richly  hung  with  tapestries,  displaying  on  the 
east  the  rising  sun,  on  the  west  a moon  of  silver.  The 
cardinal  points  of  the  hill  were  guarded  by  the  white 
elephant,  the  sacred  ox,  the  horse,  and  the  lion.  These 
figures  were  so  contrived  that  they  could  be  brought  close 
together  and  turned  on  a pivot ; and  thus  the  sacred 
waters,  brought  for  that  purpose  from  the  Brahmapootra, 
were  to  be  showered  on  the  prince,  after  the  solemn  hair- 
cutting, and  received  in  a noble  basin  of  marble. 

The  name  given  to  the  ceremony  of  hair-cutting  va- 
ries according  to  the  rank  of  the  child.  For  commoners 
it  is  called  “ Khone  Chook  ” ; for  the  nobility  and  roy- 
alty, “ Soh-Khan,”  probably  from  the  Sanskrit  So/i 
Sdhtha  Kam , “ finding  safe  and  sound.”  The  custom  is 


158  THE  HEIR- APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

said  to  be  extremely  ancient,  and  to  have  originated  with 
a certain  Brahmin,  whose  only  child,  being  sick  unto 
death,  was  given  over  by  the  physicians  as  in  the  power 
of  evil  spirits.  In  his  heart’s  trouble  the  father  consulted 
a holy  man,  who  bad  been  among  the  earliest  converts  to 
Buddhism,  if  aught  might  yet  be  done  to  save  his  darling 
from  torment  and  perdition.  The  venerable  saint  di- 
rected him  to  pray,  and  to  have  prayers  offered,  for  the  lad, 
and  to  cause  that  part  of  his  hair  which  had  never  been 
touched  with  razor  or  shears  since  his  birth  to  be  shaved 
quite  off.  The  result  was  a joyful  rescue  for  the  child  ; 
others  pursued  the  same  treatment  in  like  cases  with 
the  same  effect,  and  hence  the  custom  of  hair-cutting. 
The  children  of  princes  are  forbidden  to  have  the  top- 
knot  cut  at  all,  until  the  time  when  they  are  about  to 
pass  into  manhood  or  womanhood.  Then  valuable  pres- 
ents are  made  to  them  by  all  who  are  related  to  their 
families  by  blood,  marriage,  or  friendship. 

When  all  the  preparations  necessary  to  the  successful 
presentation  of  the  dramatic  entertainment  were  com- 
pleted, the  king,  having  taken  counsel  of  his  astrologers, 
sent  heralds  to  the  governors  of  all  the  provinces  of  Siam, 
to  notify  those  dignitaries  of  the  time  appointed  for  the 
jubilee,  and  request  their  presence  and  co-operation.  A 
similar  summons  was  sent  to  all  the  priests  of  the  king- 
dom, who,  in  bands  or  companies,  were  to  serve  alter- 
nately, on  the  several  days  of  the  festival. 

Early  in  the  forenoon  of  the  auspicious  day  the  prince 
was  borne  in  state,  in  a gorgeous  chair  of  gold,  to  the  Malia 
Phrasat,  the  order  of  the  procession  being  as  follows : — 

First  came  the  bearers  of  the  gold  umbrellas,  fans,  and 
great  golden  sunshades. 

Next,  twelve  gentlemen,  superbly  attired,  selected  from 
the  first  rank  of  the  nobility,  six  on  either  side  of  the 
golden  chair,  as  a body-guard  to  the  prince. 


THE  IIEIR-APrARENT.  — ROYAL  II AIR-CUTTING.  159 


Then,  four  hundred  Amazons  arrayed  in  green  and 
gold,  and  gleaming  armor. 

These  were  followed  by  twelve  maidens,  attired  in  cloth 
of  gold,  with  fantastic  head-gear  adorned  with  precious 
stones,  who  danced  before  the  prince  to  the  gentle  monot- 
onous movement  of  the  bandos.  In  the  centre  of  this 
group  moved  three  lovely  girls,  of  whom  one  held  a 
superb  peacock’s  tail,  and  the  two  others  branches  of  gold 
and  silver,  sparkling  with  leaves  and  rare  flowers.  These 
damsels  were  guarded  by  two  duennas  on  either  side. 

After  these  stalked  a stately  body  of  Brahmins,  bearing 
golden  vases  filled  with  Khoa  tolc,  or  roasted  rice,  which 
they  scattered  on  either  side,  as  an  emblem  of  plenty. 

Another  troop  of  Brahmins  with  bandos,  which  they 
rattled  as  they  moved  along. 

Two  young  nobles,  splendidly  robed,  who  also  bore  gold 
vases,  lotos-shaped,  in  which  nestled  the  bird  of  paradise 
called  Nok  Kurraweek,  the  sweetness  of  whose  song  is 
supposed  to  entrance  even  beasts  of  prey. 

A troop  of  lads,  the  rising  nobility  of  Siam,  fairly 
covered  with  gold  collars  and  necklaces. 

The  king’s  Japanese  body-guard. 

Another  line  of  boys,  representing  natives  of  Hindostan 
in  costume. 

Malayan  lads  in  costume. 

Chinese  lads  in  costume. 

Siamese  boys  in  English  costume. 

The  king’s  infantry,  headed  by  pioneers,  in  European 
costume. 

Outside  of  this  line  marched  about  five  thousand  men 
in  long  rose-colored  robes,  with  tall  tapering  caps.  These 
represented  guardian-angels  attending  on  the  different 
nations. 

Then  came  bands  of  musicians  dressed  in  scarlet,  imi- 
tating the  cries  of  birds,  the  sound  of  falling  fruit,  and 


1G0  THE  HEIR-APPAllENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

the  murmur  of  distant  waters,  in  the  imaginary  forest 
they  were  supposed  to  traverse  on  their  way  to  the  Sacred 
Mount. 

The  order  of  the  procession  behind  the  golden  sedan 
in  which  the  prince  was  borne,  was  nearly  as  follows : — 

Next  after  the  chair  of  state  came  four  young  damsels 
of  the  highest  rank,  bearing  the  prince’s  betel-box,  spit- 
toon, fan,  and  swords.  Then  followed  seventy  other 
maidens,  carrying  reverently  in  both  hands  the  vessels  of 
pure  gold,  and  all  the  insignia  of  rank  and  office  proper 
to  a prince  of  the  blood  royal ; and  yet  more,  holding 
over  their  right  shoulders  golden  fans. 

In  the  train  of  these  tripped  troops  of  children,  daugh- 
ters of  the  nobility,  dressed  and  decorated  with  fantastic 
splendor. 

Then  the  maids  of  honor,  personal  attendants,  and 
concubines  of  the  king,  chastely  dressed,  though  crowned 
with  gold,  and  decorated  with  massive  gold  chains  and 
rings  of  great  price  and  beauty. 

A crowd  of  Siamese  women,  painted  and  rouged,  in 
European  costume. 

Troops  of  children  in  corresponding  attire. 

Ladies  in  Chinese  costume. 

Japanese  ladies  in  rich  robes. 

Malay  women  in  their  national  dress. 

Women  of  Hindostan. 

Then  the  Kariens. 

And,  last  of  all,  the  female  slaves  and  dependants  of 
the  prince. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  a most  extraordinary  spectacle 
was  presented. 

On  the  east  appeared  a number  of  hideous  monsters, 
riding  on  gigantic  eagles.  These  nondescripts,  whose 
heads  reached  almost  to  their  knees,  and  whose  hands 
grasped  indescribable  weapons,  are  called  Yaks.  They 


THE  HEIR-APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING.  161 

are  appointed  to  guard  the  Sacred  Mount  from  all  vulgar 
approach. 

A little  farther  on,  around  a pair  of  stuffed  peacocks, 
were  a number  of  youthful  warriors,  representing  kings, 
governors,  and  chiefs  of  the  several  dependencies  of  Siam. 

Desirous  of  witnessing  the  sublime  ceremony  of  hair- 
cutting, they  cautiously  approach  the  Yaks,  performing  a 
sort  of  war  dance,  and  chanting  in  chorus : — 

Or  ah  Pho,  cha  pai  Krci  Lddt. 

“ Let  us  go  to  the  Sacred  Mount !” 

Whereupon  the  Yaks,  or  evil  angels,  point  their  won- 
derful weapons  at  them,  chanting  in  the  same  strain  : — 

Orah  Pho,  salopc  thdng  pooang. 

“ Let  us  slay  them  all ! ” 

They  then  make  a show  of  striking  and  thrusting,  and 
princes,  rajahs,  and  governors  drop  as  if  wounded. 

The  principal  parts  in  the  drama  were  assumed  by  his 
Majesty,  and  their  excellencies  the  Prime  Minister  and 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  The  king  was  dressed 
for  the  character  of  P’lira  Inn  Suen,  the  Hindoo  Indra,  or 
Lord  of  the  Sky,  who  has  also  the  attributes  of  the 
Koman  Genius ; but  most  of  his  epithets  in  Sanskrit  are 
identical  with  those  of  the  Olympian  Jove.  He  was 
attended  by  the  Prime  Minister,  personating  the  Sanskrit 
Sache,  but  called  in  Siamese  “ Vis  Summo  Kara,”  and  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  as  his  charioteer,  Ala  Talee. 
His  imperial  elephant,  called  Aisarat,  caparisoned  in 
velvet  and  gold,  and  bearing  the  supernatural  weapons, 
— Vagra,  the  thunderbolts,  — was  led  by  allegorical  per- 
sonages, representing  winds  and  showers,  lightning  and 
thunder.  The  hill,  Khoa  Kra  Laat,  is  the  Sanskrit  Meru, 
described  as  a mountain  of  gold  and  gems. 

His  Majesty  received  the  prince  from  the  hands  of  his 
nobles,  set  him  on  his  right  hand,  and  presented  him  to 
the  people,  who  offered  homage.  Afterward,  two  ladies 


162  THE  HEIR-APTARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

of  the  court  led  him  down  the  flight  of  marble  steps, 
where  two  maidens  washed  his  feet  with  pure  water  in  a 
gold  basin,  and  wiped  them  with  fine  linen. 

On  his  way  to  the  Maha  Phrasat  he  was  met  by  a 
group  of  girls  in  charming  attire,  who  held  before  him 
tufts  of  palm  and  branches  of  gold  and  silver.  Thus  he 
was  conducted  to  an  inner  chamber  of  the  temple,  and 
seated  on  a costly  carpet  heavily  fringed  with  gold,  before 
an  altar  on  which  were  lighted  tapers  and  offerings  of  all 
descriptions.  In  his  hand  was  placed  a strip  of  palmyra 
leaf,  on  which  were  inscribed  these  mystic  words:  “Even 
I was,  even  from  the  first,  and  not  any  other  thing : that 
which  existed  unperceived,  supreme.  Afterwards,  I am 
that  which  is,  arid  He  that  was,  and  He  who  must 
remain  am  I.” 

“ Know  that  except  Me,  who  am  the  First  Cause,  noth- 
ing that  appears  or  does  not  appear  in  the  mind  can  be 
trusted  ; it  is  the  mind’s  Maya  or  delusion,  — as  Light  is 
to  Darkness.” 

On  the  reverse  was  inscribed  this  sentence : — 

“ Keep  me  still  meditating  on  Thy  infinite  greatness 
and  my  own  nothingness,  so  that  all  the  questions  of  my 
life  may  be  answered  and  my  mind  abundantly  instructed 
in  the  path  of  Kiphan  ! ” 

In  his  hands  was  placed  a ball  of  unspun  thread,  the 
ends  of  which  were  carried  round  the  sacred  hill,  and 
thence  round  the  temple,  and  into  the  inner  chamber, 
where  it  was  bound  round  the  head  of  the  young  prince. 
Thence  again  nine  threads  were  taken,  which,  after  encir- 
cling the  altar,  were  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  officiat- 
ing priests.  These  latter  threads,  forming  circles  within 
circles,  symbolize  the  mystic  word  Om,  which  may  not 
escape  the  lips  even  of  the  purest,  but  must  be  medi- 
cated upon  in  silence. 

Early  on  the  third  day  all  the  princes,  nobles,  and 


THE  HEIR-APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING.  1G3 


officers  of  government,  together  with  the  third  company 
of  priests,  assembled  to  witness  the  ceremony  of  shaving 
the  royal  top-knot.  The  royal  sire  handed  first  the 
golden  shears  and  then  a gilded  razor  to  the  happy 
hair-cutter,  who  immediately  addressed  himself  to  his 
honorable  function.  Meanwhile  the  musicians,  with  the 
trumpeters  and  conch-blowers,  exerted  all  their  noisy 
faculties  to  beguile  the  patient  heir. 

The  tonsorial  operation  concluded,  the  prince  was  robed 
in  white,  and  conducted  to  the  marble  basin  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sacred  Mount,  where  the  white  elephant,  the  ox,  the 
horse,  and  the  lion,  guarding  the  cardinal  points,  were 
brought  together,  and  from  their  mouths  baptized  him  in 
the  sacred  waters.  He  was  then  arrayed  in  silk,  still 
white,  by  women  of  rank,  and  escorted  to  a golden  pagoda 
on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  where  the  king,  in  the  charac- 
ter of  P’hra  Inn  Suen,  waited  to  bestow  his  blessing  on 
the  heir.  With  one  hand  raised  to  heaven,  and  the  other 
on  the  bowed  head  of  his  son,  he  solemnly  uttered  words 
of  Pali,  which  may  be  translated  thus  : — 

“Thou  who  art  come  out  of  the  pure  waters,  be  thy 
offences  washed  away ! Be  thou  relieved  from  other  births ! 
Bear  thou  in  thy  bosom  the  brightness  of  that  light  which 
shall  lead  tbee,  even  as  it  led  the  sublime  Buddha,  to 
Niphan,  at  once  and  forever ! ” 

These  rites  ended,  the  priests  were  served  with  a prince- 
ly banquet ; and  then  the  nobility  and  common  people 
were  also  feasted.  About  midday,  two  standards,  called 
baisec,  were  set  up  within  a circle  of  people.  These  are 
not  unlike  the  sawekra  chut,  or  royal  umbrella,  one  of  the 
five  insignia  of  royalty  in  Siam.  They  are  about  five 
cubits  high,  and  have  from  three  to  five  canopies.  The 
staff  is  fixed  in  a wooden  pedestal.  Each  circle  or  can- 
opy has  a flat  bottom,  and  within  the  receptacle  thus 
formed  custom  requires  that  a little  cooked  rice,  called 


1G4  THE  HEIR- APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

Jc’ow  lc’wan,  shall  be  placed,  together  with  a few  cakes,  a 
little  sweet-scented  oil,  a handful  of  fragrant  flour,  and 
some  young  cocoanuts  and  plantains.  Other  edibles  of 
many  kinds  are  brought  and  arranged  about  the  baisee, 
and  a beautiful  bouquet  adorns  the  top  of  each  of  the 
umbrella-like  canopies. 

Then  a procession  was  formed,  of  princes,  noblemen, 
and  others,  who  marched  around  the  standards  nine  times. 
As  they  went,  seven  golden  candlesticks,  with  the  candles 
lighted,  were  carried  by  princes,  and  passed  from  one  to 
another ; and  as  often  as  they  came  in  front  of  the  prince, 
who  sat  between  the  standards,  they  waved  the  light  be- 
fore him.  This  procession  is  but  another  form  of  the 
Om  symbol. 

Afterwards  the  eldest  priest  or  brahmin  took  a portion 
of  the  rice  from  the  baisee,  and,  sprinkling  it  with  cocoa- 
nut  water,  gave  the  lad  a spoonful  of  it.  Then  dipping 
his  finger,  first  in  the  scented  oil  and  then  in  the  fragrant 
flour,  he  touched  the  right  foot  of  the  prince,  at  the  same 
time  exhorting  him  to  be  manly  and  strong,  and  to  bear 
himself  bravely  in  “ the  conflict  of  feeling.” 

Now  presents  of  silver  and  gold  were  laid  at  the  feet 
of  the  lad,  — every  prince  not  of  the  royal  family,  and 
every  nobleman  and  high  officer  in  the  kingdom,  being 
expected  to  appear  with  gifts.  A chowfa  might  receive, 
in  the  agcresrate,  from  five  hundred  thousand  to  a million 
ticals.*  It  should  be  remarked  in  this  connection,  that 
the  late  king  commanded  that  careful  note  be  kept  of  all 
sums  of  money  presented  by  officers  of  his  government  to 
his  children  at  the  time  of  Soh-Khan,  that  the  full  amount 
might  be  refunded  with  the  next  semi-annual  payment  of 
salary.  But  this  decree  does  not  relieve  the  more  distin- 
guished princes  and  endowed  noblemen,  who  have  acquired 


A tieal  is  equivalent  to  sixty  cents. 


THE  IIEIR-APFARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING.  1G5 


a sort  of  complimentary  relationship  to  his  Majesty  through 
their  daughters  and  nieces  accepted  as  concubines. 

The  children  of  plain  citizens,  who  cannot  afford  the 
luxury  of  a public  hair-cutting,  are  taken  to  a temple, 
where  a priest  shaves  the  tuft,  with  a brief  religious  cere- 
mony. 

Hardly  had  the  prince  recovered  his  wonted  frame  of 
mind,  after  an  event  so  pregnant  with  significance  and 
agitation  to  him,  when  the  time  arrived  for  his  induction 
into  the  priesthood.  For  this  the  rites,  though  simpler, 
were  more  solemn.  The  hair,  which  had  been  suffered  to 
grow  on  the  top  of  his  young  pate  like  an  inverted  brush, 
was  now  shorn  close,  and  liis  eyebrows  were  shaven  also. 
Arrayed  in  costly  robes  and  ornaments,  similar  to  those 
worn  at  a coronation,  he  was  taken  in  charge  by  a body  of 
priests  at  his  father’s  palace,  and  by  them  conducted  to  the 
temple  Watt  P’lira  Keau,  his  yellow-robed  and  barefooted 
escort  chanting,  on  the  way,  hymns  from  the  Buddhist 
liturgy.  At  the  threshold  of  the  temple  another  band 
of  priests  divested  him  of  his  fine  robes  and  clad  him  in 
simple  white,  all  the  while  still  chanting.  The  circle  be- 
ing characteristic  of  a Buddhist  ceremonial,  as  the  cross  is 
of  their  religious  architecture,  these  priests  formed  a circle, 
standing,  and  holding  lighted  tapers  in  their  folded  palms, 
the  high-priest  in  the  centre.  Then  the  prince  advanced 
meekly,  timidly,  bowing  low,  to  enter  the  holy  ring.  Here 
he  was  received  by  the  high-priest,  and  with  their  hands 
mutually  interfolded,  one  upon  the  other,  he  vowed  to  re- 
nounce, then  and  there,  the  world  with  all  its  cares  and 
temptations,  and  to  observe  with  obedience  the  doctrines 
of  Buddha.  This  done,  he  was  clad  afresh  in  sackcloth, 
and  led  from  the  temple  to  the  royal  monastery,  Watt 
Bralnnanee  Waid  ; with  bare  feet  and  eyes  downcast  he 
went,  still  chanting  those  weird  hymns. 

Here  he  remained  recluse  for  six  months.  When  he 


166  THE  HEIR- APPARENT.  — ROYAL  HAIR-CUTTING. 

returned  to  the  world,  and  to  the  residence  assigned  him, 
he  seemed  no  longer  the  impressible,  ardent  boy  who  was 
once  my  bright,  ambitions  scholar.  Though  still  anxious 
to  prosecute  his  English  studies,  he  was  pronounced  too 
old  to  unite  with  his  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  school. 
Eor  a year  I taught  him,  from  seven  to  ten  in  the  even- 
ing, at  his  “ Eose-planting  House  ” ; and  even  from  this 
distant  place  and  time  I look  back  with  comfort  to  those 
hours. 


XX. 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COUET. 

F all  the  diversions  of  the  court  the  most  polite, 


and  at  the  same  time  the  most  engrossing,  is  the 


In  a great  sala,  or  hall,  which  serves  as  a theatre,  the 
actors  and  actresses  assemble,  their  faces  and  bodies 
anointed  with  a creamy,  maize-colored  cosmetic.  Fan- 
tastic extravagance  of  attire  constitutes  the  great  gun  in 
their  arsenal  of  attractions.  Hence  ear-rings,  bracelets, 
massive  chains  and  collars,  tapering  crowns  with  wings, 
spangled  robes,  curious  finger-rings,  and,  strangest  of  all, 
long  tapering  nails  of  gold,  are  joined  to  complete  their 
elaborate  adornment.  The  play,  in  which  are  invariably 
enacted  the  adventures  of  gods,  kings,  heroes,  genii, 
demons,  and  a multitude  of  characters  mythical  and 
fabulous,  is  often  performed  in  lively  pantomime,  the 
interludes  being  filled  by  a strong  chorus,  with  songs 
and  instrumental  accompaniment.  At  other  times  the 
players,  in  grotesque  masks,  give  burlesque  versions  of 
the  graver  epics,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the  audience. 

Chinese  comedies,  termed  Ngiu,  attract  the  Siamese  in 
crowds ; but  the  foreign  is  decidedly  inferior  to  the  native 
talent.  “ Nang,”  so  called,  is  a sort  of  tableau,  masked, 
representing  characters  from  the  Hindoo  mythology. 
Parts  of  the  popular  epic,  Eamayana,  are  admirably  ren- 
dered in  this  style.  In  front  of  the  royal  palace  an  im- 
mense transparent  screen,  mounted  on  great  poles,  is 


drama. 


168 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COURT. 


drawn  across  tlie  esplanade,  and  behind  this,  at  a moder- 
ate distance,  great  tires  are  lighted.  Between  the  screen 
and  the  tire  masked  figures,  grotesquely  costumed,  en- 
act the  story  of  llama  and  Sita  and  the  giant  Bawuna, 
with  Hauuman  and  his  army  of  apes  bridging  the  Gulf 
of  Manaar  and  piling  up  the  Himalayas,  while  the  bards, 
in  measured  story,  describe  the  several  exploits. 

A great  variety  of  puppet-shows  are  contrived  for  the 
delectation  of  the  children  ; and  the  Siamese  are  marvel- 
lously ingenious  in  the  manufacture  of  toys  and  dolls,  of 
porcelain,  stone,  wood,  bark,  and  paper.  They  make  pa- 
godas, temples,  boats,  and  floating  houses,  with  miniature 
families  to  occupy  them,  and  all  true  to  the  life  in  every 
apartment  and  occupation ; watts,  with  idols  and  priests  ; 
palaces,  with  kings,  queens,  concubines,  royal  children, 
courtiers,  and  slaves,  all  complete  in  costume  and  attitude. 

The  royal  children  observe  with  grave  formalities  the 
eventful  custom  of  “ liair-cutting  ” for  their  favorite  dolls ; 
and  dramas,  improvised  for  the  occasion  by  ingenious 
slaves,  are  the  crowning  glory  of  those  high  holidays  of 
toddling  princes  and  princesses. 

The  ladies  of  the  harem  amuse  themselves  in  the  early 
and  late  hours  of  the  day  by  gathering  flowers  in  the 
palace  gardens,  feeding  the  birds  in  the  aviaries  and  the 
gold-fishes  in  the  ponds,  twining  garlands  to  adorn  the 
heads  of  their  children,  arranging  bouquets,  singing  songs 
of  love  or  glory,  dancing  to  the  music  of  the  guitar,  listen- 
ing to  their  slaves’  reading,  strolling  with  their  little  ones 
through  the  parks  and  parterres , and  especially  in  bathing. 
"When  the  heat  is  least  oppressive  they  plunge  into  the 
waters  of  the  pretty  retired  lakes,  swimming  and  diving 
like  flocks  of  brown  water-fowl. 

Chess  and  backgammon,  Chinese  cards  and  dice,  afford 
a continual  diversion  to  both  sexes  at  the  court,  and 
there  are  many  skilful  players  among  them. 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COURT. 


169 


The  Chinese  have  established  a sort  of  “lottery,”  of 
which  they  have  the  monopoly.  It  is  little  better  than  a 
“sweat-cloth,”  with  thirteen  figures,  on  which  money  is 
staked  at  the  option  of  the  gambler.  The  winning  figure 
pays  its  stake  thirty-fold,  the  rest  is  lost. 

Kite-flying,  which  in  Europe  and  America  is  the  amuse- 
ment of  children  exclusively,  is  here,  as  in  China  and 
Birmah,  the  pastime  of  both  sexes,  and  all  ages  and  con- 
ditions of  peopler  At  the  season  when  the  south-wind 
prevails  steadily,  innumerable  kites  of  diverse  forms, 
many  of  them  representing  gigantic  butterflies,  may  be 
seen  sailing  and  darting  over  every  quarter  of  the  city, 
and  most  thickly  over  the  palace  and  its  appendages. 
Parties  of  young  noblemen  devote  themselves  with  ardor 
to  the  sport,  betting  bravely  on  results  of  skill  or  luck ; 
and  it  is  most  entertaining  to  observe  how  cleverly  they 
manage  the  huge  paper  toys,  entangling  and  capturing 
each  other’s  kites,  and  dragging  them  disabled  to  the 
earth. 

Combats  of  bulls  and  elephants,  though  very  popular, 
are  not  commonly  exhibited  at  court.  At  certain  seasons 
fairs  are  held,  where  exhibitions  of  wrestling,  boxing, 
fencing,  and  dancing  are  given  by  professional  competi- 
tors. 

The  Siamese,  naturally  imaginative  and  gay,  cultivate 
music  with  great  zest.  Every  village  has  its  orchestra, 
every  prince  and  noble  his  band  of  musicians,  and  in 
every  part  of  Bangkok  the  sound  of  strange  instruments 
is  heard  continually.  Their  music  is  not  in  parts  like  ours, 
but  there  is  always  harmony  with  good  expression,  and  an 
agreeable  variety  of  movement  and  volume  is  derived 
from  the  diversity,  of  instruments  and  the  taste  of  the 
players. 

The  principal  instrument,  the  khong-vong,  is  composed 
of  a series  of  hemispherical  metallic  bells  or  cups  in- 
s 


170 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COURT. 


verted  and  suspended  by  cords  to  a wooden  frame.  The 
performer  strikes  the  bells  with  two  little  hammers  cov- 
ered with  soft  leather,  producing  an  agreeable  harmony. 
The  hautboy  player  (who  is  usually  a professional  jug- 
gler and  snake-charmer  also)  commonly  leads  the  band. 
Kneeling  and  swaying  his  body  forward  and  backward, 
and  from  side  to  side,  he  keeps  time  to  the  movement  of 
the  music.  His  instrument  has  six  holes,  but  no  keys, 
and  may  be  either  rough  or  smoothly  finished. 

The  ranat,  or  harmonicon,  is  a wooden  instrument,  with 
keys  made  of  wood  from  the  bashoo-nut  tree.  These, 
varying  in  size  from  six  inches  by  one  to  fifteen  by  two, 
are  connected  by  pieces  of  twine,  and  so  fastened  to  a 
hollow  case  of  wood  about  three  feet  in  length  and  a foot 
high.  The  music  is  “conjured”  by  the  aid  of  two  small 
hammers  corked  with  leather,  like  those  of  the  kliong- 
vong.  The  notes  are  clear  and  fine,  and  the  instrument 
admits  of  much  delicacy  of  touch. 

Beside  these  the  Siamese  have  the  guitar,  the  violin, 
the  flute,  the  cymbals,  the  trumpet,  and  the  conch-shell. 
There  is  the  luptima  also,  another  very  curious  instru- 
ment, formed  of  a dozen  long  perforated  reeds  joined 
with  bands  and  cemented  at  the  joints  with  wax.  The 
orifice  at  one  end  is  applied  to  the  lips,  and  a very  mod- 
erate degree  of  skill  produces  notes  so  strong  and  sweet 
as  to  remind  one  of  the  swell  of  a church  organ. 

The  Laos  people  have  organs  and  tambourines  of  dif- 
ferent forms  ; their  guitar  is  almost  as  agreeable  as  that  of 
Europe  ; and  of  their  flutes  of  several  kinds,  one  is  played 
with  the  nostril  instead  of  the  lips. 

Another  instrument,  resembling  the  banjo  of  the 
American  negroes,  is  made  from  a large  long-necked 
gourd,  cut  in  halves  while  green,  cleaned,  dried  in  the  sun, 
covered  with  parchment,  and  strung  with  from  four  to 
six  strings.  Its  notes  are  pleasing. 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  TIIE  COURT. 


171 


The  takM,  a long  guitar  with  metallic  strings,  is  laid 
on  the  door,  and  high-born  ladies,  with  fingers  armed  with 
shields  or  nails  of  gold,  draw  from  it  the  softest  and 
sweetest  sounds. 

In  their  funeral  ceremonies  the  chanting  of  the  priests 
is  usually  accompanied  by  the  lugubrious  wailing  music 
of  a sort  of  clarionet. 

The  songs  of  Siam  are  either  heroic  or  amatory;  the 
former  celebrating  the  martial  exploits,  the  latter  the 
more  tender  adventures,  of  heroes. 

Athletic  games  and  the  contests  of  the  arena  and  the 
course  form  so  conspicuous  a feature  in  all  ceremonies, 
solemn  or  festal,  of  this  people,  that  a description  of  them 
may  not  with  advantage  be  wholly  omitted  here.  The 
Siamese  are  by- nature  warlike,  and  their  government  has 
thoughtfully  and  liberally  fostered  those  manly  sports 
and  exercises  which  constitute  the  natural  preparation  for 
the  profession  of  arms.  Of  these  the  most  popular  are 
wrestling,  boxing  (in  which  both  sexes  take  part),  throw- 
ing the  discus  or  quoit,  foot-shuttlecock,  and  racing  on 
foot  or  horseback  or  in  chariots  ; to  which  may  be  added 
vaulting  and  tumbling,  throwing  the  dart,  and  leaping 
through  wheels  or  circles  of  fire. 

The  professional  athletes  and  gymnasts  are  exercised  at 
a tender  age  under  male  or  female  trainers,  who  employ 
the  most  approved  methods  of  limbering  and  quickening 
and  strengthening  and  toughening  their  incipient  cham- 
pions, to  whom,  though  well  fed,  sleep  is  jealously  al- 
lowanced and  intoxicating  drinks  absolutely  forbidden. 
Their  bodies  are  rubbed  with  oils  and  unguents  to  render 
them  supple ; and  a short  langoutee  with  a belt  forms  the 
sum  of  their  clothing.  None  but  the  children  of  Siamese 
or  Laotians  are  admitted  to  the  gymnasia.  The  code  of 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  several  classes  is  strictly 


172 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COURT. 


enforced,  and  nothing  is  permitted  contrary  to  the  estab- 
lished order  and  regulations  of  the  games.  Excessive 
violence  is  mercifully  forbidden,  and  those  who  enter  to 
wrestle  or  box,  race  or  leap,  for  the  prize,  draw  lots  for 
precedence  and  position. 

The  Siamese  practise  wrestling  in  its  rude  simplicity, 
the  advantage  being  with  weight  and  strength,  rather 
than  skill  and  address.  The  wrestlers,  before  engaging,  are 
rubbed  and  shampooed,  the  joints  bent  backward  and  all 
the  muscles  relaxed,  and  the  body  and  limbs  freely  oiled ; 
but  after  the  latter  operation  they  roll  in  the  dust,  or  are 
sprinkled  with  earth,  ground  and  sifted,  that  they  may  be 
grappled  the  more  firmly.  They  are  matched  in  pairs, 
and  several  couples  contend  at  the  same  time.  Their 
struggles  afford  superb  displays  of  the  anatomy  of  action, 
and  the  perfection  of  strength  and  skill  and  fierce  grace 
in  the  trained  animal.  Though  one  be  seized  by  the  heel 
and  thrown,  — which  the  Siamese  applaud  as  the  climax 
of  the  wrestler’s  adroitness,  — they  still  struggle  grandly 
on  the  ground,  a double  Antteus  of  arms  and  legs,  till  one 
be  turned  upon  his  back  and  slapped  upon  the  breast. 
That  is  the  accepted  signal  of  the  victor. 

In  boxing,  the  Siamese  cover  their  hands  with  a kind 
of  glove  of  ribbed  leather,  sometimes  lined  with  brass. 
On  their  heads  they  wear  a leather  turban,  to  protect  the 
temples  and  ears,  the  assault  being  directed  mainly  at 
the  head  and  face.  Besides  the  usual  “getting  away” 
of  the  British  bruiser,  blows  are  caught  with  surprising 
address  and  strength  in  the  gloved  hand.  The  boxer 
who  by  overreaching,  or  missing  a blow  he  has  put  his 
weight  into,  throws  himself,  is  beaten  ; or  he  may  sur- 
render by  simply  lowering  his  arms. 

The  Siamese  discus,  or  quoit,  is  round,  and  of  wood, 
stone,  or  iron.  Their  manner  of  hurling  it  does  not  dif- 
fer materially  from  that  which  all  mighty  players  have 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  COURT. 


173 


practised  since  Caesar’s  soldiers  pitched  quoits  for  ra- 
tions. 

Quite  otherwise,  in  its  curious  novelty,  is  their  spirited 
and  picturesque  sport  of  foot-shuttlecock,  — a game  which 
may  he  witnessed  only  in  Asia,  and  in  the  perfection 
of  its  skill  and  agility  only  in  Birmah  and  Siam. 

The  shuttlecock  is  like  our  own,  but  the  battledore  is 
the  sole  of  the  foot.  A number  of  young  men  form  a cir- 
cle on  a clear  plot  of  ground.  One  of  them  opens  the 
game  by  throwing  the  feathered  toy  to  the  player  opposite 
him,  who,  turning  quickly  and  raising  his  leg,  receives  it 
on  the  sole  of  his  foot,  and  sends  it  like  a shot  to  another, 
and  he  to  another ; and  so  it  is  kept  flying  for  an  hour 
or  more,  without  once  falling  to  the  ground. 

Speed,  whether  of  two  legs  or  four,  is  in  high  estima- 
tion among  the  Siamese.  Their  public  festivals,  however 
solemn,  are  usually  begun  with  races,  which  they  culti- 
vate with  ardor  and  enjoy  with  enthusiasm.  They  have 
the  foot-race,  the  horse-race,  and  the  chariot-race.  In 
the  first,  the  runners,  having  drawn  lots  for  places,  range 
themselves  across  the  course,  and,  while  waiting  for  the 
starting  signal,  excite  themselves  by  leaping.  At  the 
word  “ Go,”  they  make  play  with  astonishing  speed  and 
spirit. 

The  race  of  a single  horse,  “against  time,”  with  or 
without  saddle,  is  a favorite  sport.  The  rider,  scorning 
stirrup  or  bridle,  grips  the  sides  of  his  steed  with  his 
knees,  and,  with  his  right  arm  and  forefinger  stretched 
eagerly  toward  the  goal,  flies  alone,  — an  inspiring  picture. 
Sometimes  two  horsemen  ride  abreast,  and  at  full  speed 
change  horses  by  vaulting  from  one  to  the  other. 

In  the  chariot-races  from  two  to  four  horses  are  driven 
abreast,  and  the  art  consists  in  winning  and  keeping  the 
advantage  of  ground  without  collision.  This  kind  of 
racing  is  not  so  common  as  the  others. 


174 


AMUSEMENTS  OF  TIIE  COURT. 


The  favorite  pastime  of  the  late  Second  King,  who 
greatly  delighted  in  equestrian  exercises  and  feats,  was 
Croquet  on  Horseback,  — a sport  in  which  he  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  brilliant  skill  and  style,  as  he  did 
in  racing  and  hunting.  This  unique  equestrian  game  is 
played  exclusively  by  princes  and  noblemen.  There  are 
a number  of  small  balls  which  must  be  croqueted  into 
two  deep  holes,  with  the  aid  of  long  slender  mallets.  The 
limits  of  the  ground  are  marked  by  a line  drawn  around 
it ; and  the  only  conditions  necessary  to  render  the  sport 
exciting  and  the  skill  remarkable  are  narrow  bounds  and 
restive  steeds. 

The  Siamese,  like  other  Orientals,  ride  with  loose  rein 
and  short  stirrups.  Their  saddles  are  high  and  hard,  and 
have  two  large  circular  flaps,  gilded  and  otherwise  adorned, 
according  to  the  rank  of  the  rider.  Cavaliers  of  distinc- 
tion usually  dress  expensively,  in  imported  stuffs,  elabo- 
rately embroidered  with  silk  and  gold  thread.  They 
wear  a small  cap,  and  sometimes  a strip  of  red,  like  the 
fillet  of  the  Greeks  and  Homans,  bound  round  the  brows. 

Prizes  for  the  victors  in  the  games  and  combats  are  of 
several  kinds, — purses  of  gold  and  silver,  suits  of  apparel, 
umbrellas,  and,  more  rarely,  a gold  or  silver  cup. 

In  concluding  this  imperfect  sketch,  I feel  that  a word 
of  praise  is  due  to  the  spirit  of  moderation  and  humanity 
which  seems  to  govern  such  exhibitions  in  Siam.  Even 
in  their  gravest  festivals  there  is  an  element  of  cheerful- 
ness and  kindness,  which  tends  to  promote  genial  fellow- 
ship and  foster  friendships,  and  by  bringing  together  all 
sorts  of  people,  otherwise  separated  by  diversity  of  cus- 
tom, prejudice,  and  interest,  unquestionably  avails  to  weld 
the  several  small  states  and  dependencies  of  Siam  into 
one  compact  and  stable  nation. 


/ 


XXI. 


SIAMESE  LITEEATUEE  AND  AET. 

AT  the  head  of  the  Siamese  writers  of  profane  his- 
tory stands,  I think,  P’hra  Alack,  or  rather  Che- 
ing  Meing,  — P’hra  Alack  being  the  generic  term  for  all 
writers.  In  early  life  he  was  a priest,  but  was  appointed 
historian  to  the  court,  and  in  that  capacity  wrote  a his- 
tory of  the  reign  of  his  patron  and  king,  P’hra  Narai,  — 
(contemporary  with  Louis  XIV.)  — and  left  a very  curi- 
ous though  unfinished  autobiography. 

Seri  Manthara,  celebrated  as  a military  leader,  wrote 
nine  books  of  essays,  on  subjects  relating  to  agriculture 
and  the  arts  and  sciences.  Some  of  these,  translated  into 
the  languages  of  Birmah  and  Pegu,  are  still  extant. 

Among  a host  of  dramatic  writers,  Pliya  Doong,  better 
known  as  P’hra  Kliein  Lakonlen,  is  entitled  to  the  first 
rank.  He  composed  about  forty-nine  books  in  lyric  and 
dramatic  verse,  besides  epigrams  and  elegies.  Of  his 
many  poems,  the  few  that  remain  afford  passages  of  much 
elegance  and  sweetness,  and  even  of  sublimity,  — almost 
sufficient  to  atone  for  the  taint  of  grossness  he  derived 
from  tire  licentious  imagination  of  his  land  and  time. 

While  yet  hardly  out  of  his  infancy,  he  was  laid  at  the 
feet  of  the  monarch,  and  reared  in  the  palace  at  Loplia- 
buree.  Some  dramatic  pieces  composed  by  the  lad  for 
his  playmates  to  act  attracted  the  notice  of  the  king, 
who  engaged  teachers  to  instruct  him  thoroughly  in  the 
ancient  literature  of  India  and  Persia.  But  he  seems  to 


17G  SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 

have  boldly  opened  a way  for  himself,  instead  of  follow- 
ing (as  modern  Orientals,  timid  or  servile,  are  so  prone  to 
do)  the  well-worn  path  of  the  old  Hindoo  writers.  In  his 
tragedy  (which  I saw  acted)  of  Manda-thi-Nung , “ The 
First  Mother,”  there  are  passages  of  noble  thought  and 
true  passion,  expressed  with  a power  and  beauty  pecu- 
liarly his  own. 

The  entertainments  of  the  theatre  are  devoured  by  the 
Siamese  with  insatiable  appetite,  and  the  popular  pref- 
erence is  awarded  to  those  intellectual  contests  in  which 
the  tragic  and  comic  poets  compete  for  the  prize.  The 
laughter  or  the  tears  of  the  sympathetic  groundlings  are 
accepted  as  the  expression  of  an  infallible  criticism,  and 
by  their  verdict  the  play  is  crowned  or  damned.  The 
common  people,  such  is  their  passion  for  the  drama,  get 
whole  tragedies  or  comedies  “ by  heart.”  Every  day  in 
the  year,  and  in  every  street  of  Bangkok,  and  all  along 
the  river,  booths  and  tloating  salas  may  be  seen,  in  which 
tragedy,  comedy,  and  satirical  burlesques,  are  enacted  for 
the  entertainment  of  great  audiences,  who  are  thrilled,  de- 
lighted, or  amused.  In  compositions  strictly  dramatic  the 
characters,  as  with  us,  speak  and  act  for  themselves ; but 
in  the  epic  the  poet  recites  the  adventures  of  his  heroes. 

Judges  are  appointed  by  the  king  to  determine  the 
merits  of  new  plays  before  they  are  performed  at  court ; 
and  on  the  grand  occasion  of  tire  hair-cutting  of  the 
heir-apparent  (now  king)  his  late  Majesty  caused  the  poem 
“ Kraelasah  ” to  be  modernized  and  adapted  to  grace  the 
ceremonies. 

P’hra  Ramawsha,  a writer  highly  esteemed,  did  wonders 
for  the  Siamese  drama.  He  translated  the  Ramayana,  the 
Mahabharata,  and  portions  of  the  Cambodian  lyrics  into 
Siamese  ; introduced  masks,  with  magnificence  of  costume 
and  ornament ; substituted  theatres,  or  rather  salas,  for 
the  temporary  booth  or  the  open  plain  ; and  elevated  the 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 


177 


matter  and  tlie  style  of  dramatic  compositions  from  the 
burlesque  and  buffoonery  to  the  sentimental  and  majestic. 
He  was  also  the  first  to  impart  spirit  and  variety  to  the 
dialogue,  and  to  teach  actors  to  express  like  artists,  and 
not  like  mere  animals,  the  strong  human  passions  of  an- 
ger, love,  and  pity.  The  plays  of  P’hra  Ramawsha  are 
highly  esteemed  at  court.  In  his  management  of  amorous 
incidents  and  intrigues,  he  is,  if  not  positively  refined,  at 
least  less  gross  than  other  Siamese  dramatists. 

The  dress  of  the  players  is  always  rich,  and  in  the 
fashion  of  that  worn  at  court.  The  actors  and  actresses 
attached  to  the  royal  establishment  make  a splendid  dis- 
play in  this  respect,  large  sums  being  expended  annually 
on  their  costumes,  jewels,  and  other  adornings. 

The  development  of  native  genius  and  skill,  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  fine  arts,  has  greatly  declined,  if  it  has 
not  been  absolutely  arrested,  since  the  reign  of  P’hra  Narai, 
the  enlightened  founder  of  Lophaburee ; and  almost  all 
the  vestiges  of  art,  purely  national,  to  he  found  in  the 
country  now,  may  be  traced  to  that  golden  age  of  Siam. 
The  Siamese,  though  intelligent,  clever,  facile,  and  in  a 
notable  degree  susceptible  to  the  influences  of  the  beau- 
tiful in  nature  or  in  art,  by  no  means  slow  or  awk- 
ward in  imitating  the  graceful  products  of  European 
taste  and  industry,  are  yet  fettered  by  a peculiar  oppres- 
sion in  their  efforts  to  express  in  visible  forms  their 
artistic  inspirations.  No  Siamese  subject  is  to  be  con- 
gratulated, who  by  his  talent  or  his  skill  has  won  popular 
applause  in  any  branch  of  industry.  No  such  man,  having 
extraordinary  cleverness  or  taste,  dare  display  it  to  the 
public  in  works  of  novel  utility  or  beauty ; because  Ire 
and  his  inventions  may  alike  be  appropriated,  without  re- 
ward or  thanks,  — the  former  to  serve  the  king,  the  latter 
to  adorn  the  palace.  Many  ply  in  secret  their  danger- 

8 * L 


178 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 


ously  graceful  callings,  and  destroy  their  work  when  it  is 
done,  rather  than  see  it  wrested  from  them,  and  with  it 
all  that  is  left  to  them  of  freedom,  to  serve  the  whim  of  a 
covetous  and  cruel  master.  All  that  P’hra  Xarai  did  to 
foster  the  sciences  and  arts  in  his  land  has  been  undone 
by  the  ruinous  selfishness  of  his  successors ; and  of  the 
few  suicides  recorded  in  the  annals  of  Siam  since  his 
time,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  is  that  of  a famous 
painter,  who  poisoned  himself  the  day  after  his  installa- 
tion at  court.  Thus  all  natural  ambition  has  been  stu- 
pidly extinguished  in  the  breasts  of  the  artists  of  a land 
whose  remaining  monuments  attest  her  ancient  excel- 
lence in  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting. 

The  most  remarkable  examples  of  Siamese  painting  are 
presented  in  the  cartoons  to  be  found  on  the  walls  of  the 
ancient  temples,  decorated  with  the  brush  before  the 
introduction  of  wall-paper  from  Birmah.  One  that  is 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  Watt  Kheim  Mali,  or  Mai,  is  espe- 
cially noticeable.  This  temple  was  built  by  the  grand- 
mother of  the  late  Maha  Mongkut.  The  plant  kheim 
mcii  (indigenous  to  Siam),  which  bears  a lovely  little 
blossom,  was  one  of  her  favorite  flowers,  and  she  called 
her  temple  by  its  name.  Being  a liberal  patron  of  the 
arts,  she  employed  a promising  young  painter  named  Nai 
Dang  to  decorate  the  Watt.  The  man  would  hardly  be 
remembered  now  but  for  a poem  he  wrote  and  dedicated 
to  the  queen  mother,  in  which  her  beauty  and  goodness 
are  extolled.  I could  learn  of  him  no  more  than  that  he 
was  self-educated,  and  by  unaided  perseverance  attained 
a respectable  proficiency  in  drawing  and  design.  He  had 
also  a fair  knowledge  of  chemistry  as  it  is  practised  in 
the  East ; but,  aspiring  to  fame  and  fortune,  he  abandoned 
that  study  and  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  painting. 
For  years  he  struggled  desperately  against  the  discourage- 
ments of  poverty  in  himself  and  ignorance  in  his  neigh- 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 


179 


bors,  but  found  bis  reward  at  last  in  this  engagement 
to  embellish  the  walls  of  the  Watt  Kheim  Mai. 

Nai  Dang’s  must  have  been  an  original  and  indepen- 
dent mind,  for  his  conceptions  in  this  cartoon  are  as  bold 
as  his  handling  is  vigorous  and  effective,  while  his  colors 
are  more  true  to  nature  than  any  that  I have  seen  in 
Chinese  or  Japanese  art. 

He  has  grandly  chosen  for  his  subject  the  Birth  of 
Buddha.  The  mother  of  the  divine  teacher  being  on  a 
journey,  is  overtaken  with  the  pangs  of  childbirth.  Her 
attendants  and  slaves  have  gathered  about  her ; but  she, 
as  if  conscious  of  the  august  nature  of  the  babe  she 
is  about  to  bestow  upon  the  world,  retires  alone  to  the 
shade  of  an  orange  grove,  where,  clinging  to  the  friendly 
boughs,  with  a look  of  blended  rapture  and  pain,  she 
gives  birth  to  the  great  reformer.  A few  steps  farther 
on,  a circle  of  light  is  seen  glowing  round  the  feet  of  the 
infant,  as  it  attempts  to  rise  and  walk  alone.  Next  we 
find  the  child  in  a rustic  cradle  ; a branch  of  the  tree 
under  which  he  is  sleeping  bends  low,  to  shield  him  from 
the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun,  and  his  royal  parents,  behold- 
ing the  miracle,  kneel  and  adore  him.  Now  lie  is  a 
youthful  prince,  beautiful  and  gentle,  troubled  witli  pity 
for  the  poor,  the  afflicted,  and  the  aged,  as  they  rest  by 
the  roadside.  And  finally,  as  a hermit,  he  sits  in  the 
shade  of  a boh-tree,  rapt  in  divine  contemplation. 

It  is  a great  work,  full  of  imagination,  truth,  and 
power,  if  justly  contemplated  by  the  light  of  a semi-bar- 
baric age.  Every  figure  is  instinct  with  character  and 
action,  and  the  whole  is  rendered  with  infinite  naixetd,  as 
though  it  represented  undisputed  and  familiar  facts. 

On  the  opposite  wall  another  great  cartoon  represents 
the  Hell  of  the  Buddhists,  with  demons  whose  hideous 
heads  are  those  of  fabulous  beasts  and  creeping  things. 
As  a work  of  imagination  and  force  this  is  worthy  to  be 
the  companion  of  the  Birth  of  Buddha. 


180 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 


The  roof  is  painted  as  a firmament,  — stars  in  a blue 
ground ; and  here  it  is  that  the  charm  of  pure  feeling  and 
noble  treatment  is  most  apparent.  With  five  colors  the 
artist  has  produced  all  the  variety  we  see.  No  cast  shad- 
ows are  shown,  the  forms  themselves  are  but  partially 
shaded,  yet  wonderful  harmony  and  beauty  pervade  the 
whole.  All  honor  to  Nai  Dang  ! who  alone,  amid  the  na- 
tional decay  of  art  and  culture,  preserved  this  germ  of 
glorious  life  and  strength,  wrapped  in  his  own  obscure, 
neglected  life  ! 

The  practice  of  decorating  walls  and  ceilings  with  paint- 
ings may  be  traced  to  a remote  period  in  the  history  of 
Siamese  art.  In  an  ancient  temple  at  Lophaburee  is  a 
curious  picture,  of  less  merit  than  those  of  Nai  Dang, 
representing  the  marriage  of  Buddha  with  the  princess 
Thiwadi,  beside  many  of  the  transmigrations  of  the 
Buddhas ; and  there  are  elsewhere  one  or  two  pictures 
well  worthy  of  notice,  by  masters  whose  names  have  not 
been  kept  in  remembrance.  Thus  art  in  Siam,  has  degen- 
erated for  want  of  kind,  fostering  patrons,  and  faithful, 
sympathetic  chroniclers,  till  it  has  become  a thing  of 
mere  tools  and  technics. 

Nevertheless,  they  still  paint  with  some  cleverness  on 
wood,  cloth,  parchment,  ivory,  and  plastic  material,  as  well 
as  on  gold  and  silver,  — a sort  of  enamelling.  They  also  re- 
tain a fair  knowledge  of  effect  in  fresco,  tracing  the  out- 
line on  the  wet  ground,  and  laying  on  the  color  in  a thin 
glue  ; in  some  of  their  later  work  of  this  kind  that  I have 
seen,  the  idea  of  the  designer  is  expressed  with  much 
vigor. 

Their  mosaics,  executed  in  colored  porcelain  of  several 
varieties,  glass  of  all  kinds,  mother-of-pearl,  and  colored 
marbles,  represent  chiefly  flowers  and  sprays  on  a bril- 
liant ground.  The  most  remarkable  work  of  this  kind  is, 
I imagine,  that  which  is  lavished  on  the  temple  Watt  P’lira 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 


181 


Keau, — the  walls,  pillars,  windows,  roofs,  towers,  and  gates 
being  everywhere  overlaid  with  mother-of-pearl  and  ivory, 
and  profusely  gilded.  The  several  facades  are  likewise 
inlaid  with  ivory,  glass,  and  mother-of-pearl,  fixed  with 
cement  in  the  mortar,  which  serves  as  a base.  In  all  cases 
these  works  are  characterized  by  a touching  simplicity, 
which  seems  to  struggle  through  much  that  is  obscure 
and  illegible  to  get  nearer  to  nature  and  truth.  Most  of 
the  tiles  employed  in  the  roofing  of  temples  and  palaces 
are  colored  and  gilt. 

Among  the  older  pictures,  one  in  the  Itoyal  bedcham- 
ber of  the  abandoned  palace  deserves  a parting  glance. 
It  is  a cartoon  (much  defaced,  and  here  and  there  re- 
touched by  clumsy  Chinese  hands)  of  The  First  Sin.  In 
the  foreground  a newly  created  world  is  rudely  repre- 
sented, and  here  are  several  illuminated  figures,  human 
but  gigantic.  One  of  these,  discontented  with  his  spirit- 
ual food,  is  seen  tasting  something,  which  we  are  told  is 
“ fragrant  earth  ” ; after  which,  in  another  figure,  he  ap- 
pears to  be  electrified,  and  here  his  monstrous  anatomy  is 
depicted  with  ludicrous  attempts  at  detail.  Ho  one  could 
tell  me  by  whom  or  when  this  cartoon  was  painted,  and 
the  painting  itself  is  so  little  appreciated  that  I might 
never  have  seen  or  heard  of  it  but  for  a happy  chance. 

A characteristic  effect  in  the  few  great  works  by  Siamese 
painters  appears  in  their  management  of  shade.  They 
impart  to  darkness  a pervading  inner  light  or  clearness, 
and  heighten  the  effect  of  the  deeper  shadows  by  permit- 
ting objects  to  be  seen  through  them.  In  addition  to  the 
pictures  I have  described,  one  or  two  of  some  merit  are 
to  be  found  in  the  Watt  Brahmanee  Waid. 

The  florid  style  of  architecture  seems  to  have  been 
familiar  to  the  Siamese  from  a very  early  period.  Their 
palaces,  temples,  and  pagodas  afford  innumerable  exam- 
ples of  it,  many  of  them  not  unworthy  of  European  art. 


182 


SIAMESE  LITERATURE  AND  ARf. 


They  build  generally  in  brick,  using  a cement  composed 
of  sand,  chalk,  and  molasses,  in  which  the  skin  of  the 
buffalo  has  been  steeped.  Their  structures  are  the  most 
solid  and  durable  imaginable.  When  the  masons  build- 
ing a wall  round  the  new  palace  at  Ayuthia  found  their 
bricks  falling  short,  they  tried  in  vain  to  detach  a supply 
from  the  ruined  temples  and  walls  of  that  ancient  city. 

In  the  art  of  sculpture  the  Siamese  are  in  advance  of 
their  civilization.  Not  only  in  their  palaces,  temples,  and 
pagodas,  but  in  their  shops  and  dwellings  likewise,  and 
even  in  their  ships  and  boats,  all  sorts  of  figures  are  to  be 
seen,  modelled  and  finished  with  more  or  less  delicacy. 


XXII. 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

“ T I ^HE  world  is  old, and  all  things  old  within  it.”  We 

-L  plod  a trodden  path.  No  truth  is  new  to-day,  save 
only  that  one  which  as  a mantle  covers  the  face  of  God, 
lest  we  be  blinded  by  the  unveiled  glory.  How  many 
of  earth’s  departed  great,  buried  out  of  remembrance, 
might  have  lived  to-day  in  the  love  of  the  wise  and  just, 
had  theirs  but  been  that  perfect  quickening  which  is  the 
breath  of  his  Spirit  upon  the  heart,  the  gift  that  “ pass- 
eth  understanding  ! ” The  world’s  helpers  must  first 
become  borrower's  of  God.  The  world’s  teachers  must 
first  learn  of  him  that  only  wisdom,  which  cometh  not 
of  books  nor  jealous  cloister  cells,  but  out  of  the  heart  of 
man  as  it  opens  yearningly  to  the  cry  of  humanity,  — the 
Wisdom  of  Love.  This  alone  may  challenge  a superior 
mind,  prizing  truths  not  merely  lor  their  facts,  but  for 
their  motives,  — motives  for  which  individuals  or  great 
communities  either  act  or  suffer,  — to  explore  with  a calm 
and  kindly  judgment  the  spirit  of  the  religion  of  the 
Buddhists  ; and  not  its  spirit  only,  but  its  every  look  and 
tone  and  motion  as  well,  being  so  many  complex  expres- 
sions of  the  religious  character  in  all  its  peculiar  thoughts 
and  feelings. 

“ Who,  of  himself,  can  interpret  the  symbol  expressed 
by  the  wings  of  the  air-sylph  forming  within  the  case  of 
the  caterpillar  ? Only  he  who  feels  in  his  own  soul  the 
same  instinct  which  impels  the  horned  fiy  to  leave  room 


184  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  TRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

in  its  involucrum  for  antennae  yet  to  come.”  Such  a man 
knows  and  feels  that  the  potential  works  in  him  even  as 
the  actual  works  on  him.  As  all  the  organs  of  sense  are 
framed  for  a correspondent  world  of  sense,  so  all  the 
organs  of  the  spirit  are  framed  for  a correspondent  world 
of  spirit ; and  though  these  latter  he  not  equally  de- 
veloped in  us  all,  yet  they  surely  exist  in  all ; else 
how  is  it  that  even  the  ignorant,  the  depraved,  and  the 
cruel  will  contemplate  the  man  of  unselfish  and  exalted 
goodness  with  contradictory  emotions  of  pity  and  respect  ? 

We  are  prone  to  ignore  or  to  condemn  that  which  we 
do  not  clearly  understand ; and  thus  it  is,  and  on  no 
better  ground,  that  we  deny  that  there  are  influences  in 
the  religions  of  the  East  to  render  their  followers  wiser, 
nobler,  purer.  And  yet  no  one  of  respectable  intelligence 
will  question  that  there  have  been,  in  all  ages,  individual 
pagans  who,  by  the  simplicity  of  their  doctrine  and  the 
purity  of  their  practice,  have  approached  very  nearly  to 
the  perfection  of  the  Christian  graces ; and  that  they 
were,  if  not  so  much  the  better  for  the  religion  they  had, 
at  least  far,  far  better  than  if  they  had  had  no  religion 
at  all. 

It  is  not,  however,  in  human  nature  to  approve  and 
admire  any  course  of  life  without  inquiring  into  the  spirit 
of  the  law  that  regulates  it.  Nor  may  it  suffice  that  the 
spirit  is  there,  if  not  likewise  the  letter,  — that  is  to  say, 
the  practice.  The  best  doctrine  may  become  the  worst, 
if  imperfectly  understood,  erroneously  interpreted,  or 
superstiti-ously  followed. 

In  Egypt,  Palestine,  Greece,  and  India,  the  metaphys- 
ical analysis  of  Mind  had  attained  its  noontide  splen- 
dor, while  as  yet  experimental  research  had  hardly 
dawned.  Those  ancient  mystics  did  much  to  promote  in- 
tellectual emancipation,  by  insisting  that  Thought  should 
not  be  imprisoned  within  the  mere  outlines  of  any  single 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  185 

dogmatic  system  ; and  they  likewise  availed,  in  no  feeble 
measure,  to  keep  alive  the  heart  in  the  head,  by  demand- 
ing an  impartial  reverence  for  every  attribute  of  the 
mind,  till,  by  converting  these  into  symbols  to  impress 
the  ignorant  and  stupid,  they  came  at  last  to  deify  them. 
Thus,  with  the  uninitiated,  their  system  degenerated  into 
an  ignoble  pantheism. 

The  renascence  of  Buddhism  sought  to  eliminate  from 
the  arrogant  and  impious  pantheisms  of  Egypt,  India,  and 
Greece  a simple  and  pure  philosophy,  upholding  virtue 
as  man’s  greatest  good  and  highest  reward.  It  taught 
that  the  only  object  worthy  of  his  noblest  aspirations  was 
to  render  the  soul  (itself  an  emanation  from  God)  fit  to 
be  absorbed  back  again  into  the  Divine  essence  from 
which  it  sprang.  The  single  aim,  therefore,  of  pure 
Buddhism  seems  to  have  been  to  rouse  men  to  an  inward 
contemplation  of  the  divinity  of  their  own  nature  ; to  fix 
their  thoughts  on  the  spiritual  life  within  as  the  only  real 
and  true  life  ; to  teach  them  to  disregard  all  earthly  dis- 
tinctions, conditions,  privileges,  enjoyments,  privations, 
sorrows,  sufferings  ; and  thus  to  incite  them  to  continual 
efforts  in  the  direction  of  the  highest  ideals  of  patience, 
purity,  self-denial. 

Buddhism  cannot  be  clearly  defined  by  its  visible  re- 
sults to-day.  There  are  more  things  in  that  subtile,  mys- 
tical enigma  called  in  the  Pali  Ninoana,  in  the  Burmese 
Niban,  in  the  Siamese  Niplian,  than  are  dreamed  of  in 
our  philosophy.  With  the  idea  of  Niplian  in  his  the- 
ology, it  were  absurdly  false  to  say  the  Buddhist  has  no 
God.  His  Decalogue  * is  as  plain  and  imperative  as 
the  Christian’s : — 

I.  From  the  meanest  insect  up  to  man  thou  shalt  kill 
no  animal  whatsoever. 

II.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 


Translated  from  the  Tali. 


186  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

III.  Thou  shalt  not  violate  the  wife  of  another,  nor  his 
concubine. 

IV.  Thou  shalt  speak  no  word  that  is  false. 

V.  Thou  shalt  not  drink  wine,  nor  anything  that  may 
intoxicate. 

VI.  Thou  shalt  avoid  all  anger,  hatred,  and  bitter  lan- 
guage. 

VII.  Thou  shalt  not  indulge  in  idle  and  vain  talk. 

VIII.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor’s  goods. 

IX.  Thou  shalt  not  harbor  envy,  nor  pride,  nor  re- 
venge, nor  malice,  nor  the  desire  of  thy  neighbor’s  death 
or  misfortune. 

X.  Thou  shalt  not  follow  the  doctrines  of  false  gods. 

Whosoever  abstains  from  these  forbidden  things  is  said 

to  “ observe  Silah  ” ; and  whosoever  shall  faithfully  ob- 
serve Silah,  in  all  his  successive  metempsychoses,  shall 
continually  increase  in  virtue  and  purity,  until  at  length 
he  shall  become  worthy  to  behold  God,  and  hear  his 
voice ; and  so  he  shall  obtain  Niphan.  “ Be  assiduous  in 
bestowing  alms,  in  practising  virtue,  in  observing  Silah, 
in  performing  Bavana,  prayer ; and  above  all  in  adoring 
Guadama,  the  true  God.  Reverence  likewise  his  laws 
and  his  priests.” 

Many  have  missed  seeing  what  is  true  and  wise  in  the 
doctrine  of  Buddha  because  they  preferred  to  observe  it 
from  the  standpoint  and  in  the  attitude  of  an  antagonist, 
rather  than  of  an  inquirer.  To  understand  aright  the 
earnest  creed  and  hope  of  any  man,  one  must  be  at  least 
sympathetically  en  rapport  with  him,  — must  be  willing 
to  feel,  and  to  confess  within  one’s  self,  the  germs  ot 
those  errors  whose  growth  seems  so  rank  in  him.  In  the 
humble  spirit  of  this  fellowship  of  fallibility  let  us  draw 
as  near  as  we  may  to  the  hearts  of  these  devotees  and  the 
heart  of  their  mystery. 

My  interesting  pupil,  the  Lady  Talap,  had  invited  me 


niKSTs  at  Breakfast. 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  187 

to  accompany  lier  to  the  royal  private  temple,  Watt  P’lira 
Keau,  to  witness  the  services  held  there  on  the  Buddhist 
Sabato,  or  One-thu-sin.  Accordingly  we  repaired  together 
to  the  temple  on  the  day  appointed.  The  day  was 
young,  and  the  air  was  cool  and  fresh  ; and  as  we  ap- 
proached the  place  of  worship,  the  clustered  hells  of  the 
pagodas  made  breezy  gushes  of  music  aloft.  One  of  the 
court  pages,  meeting  us,  inquired  our  destination.  “ The 
Watt  P’lira  Keau,”  I replied.  “ To  see  or  to  hear  ? ” 
“ Both.”  And  we  entered. 

On  a floor  diamonded  with  polished  brass  sat  a throng 
of  women,  the  ttite  of  Siam.  All  were  robed  in  pure 
white,  with  white  silk  scarfs  drawn  from  the  left  shoulder 
in  careful  folds  across  the  bust  and  back,  and  thrown 
gracefully  over  the  right.  A little  apart  sat  their  female 
slaves,  of  whom  many  were  inferior  to  their  mistresses 
only  in  social  consideration  and  worldly  gear,  being  their 
half-sisters,  — children  of  the  same  father  by  a slave 
mother. 

The  women  sat  in  circles,  and  each  displayed  her  vase 
of  flowers  and  her  lighted  taper  before  her.  In  front  of 
all  were  a number  of  my  younger  pupils,  the  royal  chil- 
dren, in  circles  also.  Close  by  the  altar,  on  a low  square 
stool,  overlaid  with  a thin  cushion  of  silk,  sat  the  high- 
priest,  Chow  Khoon  Sah.  In  his  hand  he  held  a concave 
fan,  lined  with  pale  green  silk,  the  back  richly  embroi- 
dered, jewelled,  and  gilt.*  He  was  draped  in  a yellow  robe, 
not  unlike  the  Roman  toga,  a loose  and  flowing  habit, 
closed  below  the  waist,  but  open  from  the  throat  to  the 
girdle,  which  was  simply  a band  of  yellow  cloth,  bound 
tightly.  From  the  shoulders  hung  two  narrow  strips,  also 
yellow,  descending  over  the  robe  to  the  feet,  and  resem- 
bling the  scapular  worn  by  certain  orders  of  the  Roman 

* The  fan  is  used  to  cover  the  face.  Jewelled  fans  are  marks  of  dis- 
tinction among  the  priesthood. 


188  BUDDHIST  DOCTRIXE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

Catholic  clergy.  At  his  side  was  an  open  watch  of 
gold,  the  gift  of  his  sovereign.  At  his  feet  sat  seven- 
teen disciples,  shading  their  faces  with  fans  less  richly 
adorned. 

We  put  off  our  shoes,  — my  child  and  I,  — having 
respect  for  the  ancient  prejudice  against  them  ; * feeling 
not  so  much  reverence  for  the  place  as  for  the  hearts  that 
worshipped  there,  caring  to  display  not  so  much  the  love 
of  wisdom  as  the  wisdom  of  love ; and  well  were  we  re- 
paid by  the  grateful  smile  of  recognition  that  greeted  us 
as  we  entered. 

We  sat  down  cross-legged.  No  need  to  hush  my  boy, 
— the  silence  there,  so  subduing,  checked  with  its  myste- 
rious awe  even  his  inquisitive  young  mind.  The  venera- 
ble high-priest  sat  with  his  face  jealously  covered,  lest 
his  eyes  should  tempt  his  thoughts  to  stray.  I changed 
my  position  to  catch  a glimpse  of  his  countenance ; he 
drew  his  fan-veil  more  closely,  giving  me  a quick  but  gen- 
tle half-glance  of  remonstrance.  Then  raising  his  eyes, 
with  lids  nearly  closed,  he  chanted  in  an  infantile,  wailing 
tone. 

That  was  the  opening  prayer.  At  once  the  whole  con- 
gregation raised  themselves  on  their  knees  and,  all  to- 
gether, prostrated  themselves  thrice  profoundly,  thrice 
touching  the  polished  brass  floor  with  their  foreheads ; 
and  then,  with  heads  bowed  and  palms  folded  and  eyes 
closed,  they  delivered  the  responses  after  the  priest,  much 
in  the  manner  of  the  English  liturgy,  first  the  priest,  then 
the  people,  and  finally  all  together.  There  was  no  sing- 
ing, no  standing  up  and  sitting  down,  no  changing  of 
robes  or  places,  no  turning  the  face  to  the  altar,  nor 
north,  nor  south,  nor  east,  nor  west.  All  knelt  still,  with 
hands  folded  straight  before  them,  and  eyes  strictly,  tightly 

* “ Put  off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou 
standest  is  holy  ground.” 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  189 

closed.  Indeed,  there  were  faces  there  that  expressed 
devotion  and  piety,  the  humblest  and  the  purest,  as 
the  lips  murmured : “ 0 Thou  Eternal  One,  Thou  per- 
fection of  Time,  Thou  truest  Truth,  Thou  immutable  es- 
sence of  all  Change,  Thou  most  excellent  radiance  of 
Mercy,  Thou  infinite  Compassion,  Thou  Pity,  Thou  Char- 
ity!" 

I lost  some  of  the  responses  in  the  simultaneous  repe- 
tition, and  did  but  imperfectly  comprehend  the  exhorta- 
tion that  followed,  in  which  was  inculcated  the  strictest 
practice  of  charity  in  a manner  so  pathetic  and  so  gen- 
tle as  might  be  wisely  imitated  by  the  most  orthodox  of 
Christian  priests. 

There  was  majesty  in  the  humility  of  those  pagan  wor- 
shippers, and  in  their  shame  of  self  they  were  sublime. 
I leave  both  the  truth  and  the  error  to  Him  who  alone 
can  soar  to  the  bright  heights  of  the  one  and  sound  the 
dark  depths  of  the  other,  and  take  to  myself  the  lesson, 
to  be  read  in  the  shrinking  forms  and  hidden  faces  of 
those  patient  waiters  for  a far-off  glimmering  Light, — 
the  lesson  wherefrom  I learn,  in  thanking  God  for  the 
light  of  Christianity,  to  thank  him  for  its  shadow  too, 
which  is  Buddhism. 

Around  the  porches  and  vestibules  of  the  temple 
lounged  the  Amazonian  guard,  intent  only  on  irreverent 
amusement,  even  in  the  form  of  a grotesque  and  grim 
flirtation  here  and  there  with  the  custodians  of  the  tem- 
ple, who  have  charge  of  the  sacred  fire  that  burns  before 
the  altar.  About  eighty-five  years  ago  this  fire  went  out. 
It  was  a calamity  of  direful  presage,  and  thereupon  all 
Siam  went  into  a consternation  of  mourning.  All  public 
spectacles  were  forbidden  until  the  crime  could  be  expi- 
ated by  the  appropriate  punishment  of  the  wretch  to  whose 
sacrilegious  carelessness  it  was  due ; nor  was  the  sacred 
flame  rekindled  until  the  reign  of  P’lira-Pooti-Yaut-Fa, 


I 


190  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

grandfather  of  his  late  Majesty,  when  the  royal  Hall 
of  Audience  was  destroyed  by  lightning.  From  that 
fire  of  heaven  it  was  relighted  with  joyful  thanksgiv- 
ing, and  so  has  burned  on  to  this  day. 

The  lofty  throne,  on  which  the  priceless  P’hra  Kciau 
(the  Emerald  Idol)  blazed  in  its  glory  of  gold  and  gems, 
shone  resplendent  in  the  forenoon  light.  Everything 
above,  around  it,  — even  the  vases  of  flowers  and  the  per- 
fumed tapers  on  the  floor, — was  reflected  as  if  by  magic 
in  its  kaleidoscopic  surface,  now  pensive,  pale,  and  silvery 
as  with  moonlight,  now  flashing,  fantastic,  with  the  party- 
colored  splendors  of  a thousand  lamps. 

The  ceiling  was  wholly  covered  with  hieroglyphic  de- 
vices, — luminous  circles  and  triangles,  globes,  rings,  stars, 
flowers,  figures  of  animals,  even  parts  of  the  human  body, 
— mystic  symbols,  to  be  deciphered  only  by  the  initiated. 
Ah  ! could  I but  have  read  them  as  in  a book,  construing  all 
their  allegorical  significance,  how  near  might  I not  have 
come  to  the  distracting  secret  of  this  people  ! Gazing 
upon  them,  my  thought  flew  back  a thousand  years,  and 
my  feeble,  foolish  conjectures,  like  butterflies  at  sea,  were 
lost  in  mists  of  old  myth. 

Not  that  Buddhism  has  escaped  the  guessing  and  con- 
ceits of  a multitude  of  writers,  most  trustworthy  of  whom 
are  the  early  Christian  Fathers,  who,  to  the  end  that  they 
might  arouse  the  attention  of  the  sleeping. nations,  yielded 
a reluctant,  but  impartial  and  graceful,  tribute  to  the  long- 
forgotten  creeds  of  Chaldea,  Phenicia,  Assyria,  and  Egypt. 
Nevertheless,  they  would  never  have  appealed  to  the  doc- 
trine of  Buddha  as  being  most  like  to  Christianity  in  its 
rejection  of  the  claims  of  race,  had  they  not  found  in  its 
simple  ritual  another  and  a stronger  bond  of  brotherhood. 
Like  Christianity,  too,  it  was  a religion  catholic  and  apos- 
tolic, for  the  truth  of  which  many  faithful  witnesses  had 
laid  down  their  lives.  It  was,  besides,  the  creed  of  an 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  191 

ancient  race ; and  the  mystery  that  shrouded  it  had  a 
charm  to  pique  the  vanity  even  of  self-sufficient  Greeks, 
and  stir  up  curiosity  even  in  Roman  arrogance  and  indif- 
ference. The  doctrines  of  Buddha  were  eminently  fitted 
to  elucidate  the  doctrines  of  Christ,  and  therefore  worthy 
to  engage  the  interest  of  Christian  writers  ; accordingly, 
among  the  earliest  of  these  mention  is  made  of  the  Buddha 
or  Phtliah,  though  there  were  as  yet  few  or  none  to  appre- 
ciate all  the  religious  significance  of  his  teachings.  Tere- 
binthus  declared  there  was  “ nothing  in  the  pagan  world  to 
be  compared  with  his  (Buddha’s)  P’hra-ti-moksha,  or  Code 
of  Discipline,  which  in  some  respects  resembled  the  rules 
that  governed  the  lives  of  the  monks  of  Christendom  ; 
Marco  Polo  says  of  Buddha,  “ Si  fuisset  Christianus,  fuis- 
set  apud  Deum  maximus  factus  ” ; and  later,  Malcolm, 
the  devoted  missionary,  said  of  his  doctrine,  “ In  almost 
every  respect  it  seems  to  be  the  best  religion  which  man 
has  ever  invented.”  Mark  the  “ invented  ” of  the  wary 
Christian ! 

But  errors,  that  in  time  crept  in,  corrupted  the  pure 
doctrine,  and  disciples,  ignorant  or  stupid,  perverted  its 
meaning  and  intent,  and  blind  or  treacherous  guides  led 
the  simple  astray,  till  at  last  the  true  and  plain  philoso- 
phy of  Buddha  became  entangled  with  the  Egyptian  my- 
thology. 

Over  the  portal  on  the  eastern  facade  of  the  Watt  P’hra 
Keau  is  a bass-relief  representing  the  Last  Judgment,  in 
which  are  figures  of  a devil  with  a pig’s  head  dragging  the 
wicked  to  hell,  and  an  angel  weighing  mankind  in  a pair 
of  scales.  Now  we  know  that  in  the  mythology  of  an- 
cient Egypt  the  Pig  was  the  emblem  of  the  Evil  Spirit, 
and  this  bass-relief  of  the  Siamese  watt  could  hardly  fail 
to  remind  the  Egyptologist  of  kindred  compositions  in 
old  sculptures  wherein  the  good  and  bad  deeds  of  the  dead 
are  weighed  by  Anubis  (the  Siamese  Anuman  or  Hanu- 


192  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

man),  and  the  souls  of  tlie  wicked  carried  off  by  a 
Pig- 

In  the  city  of  Arsinoe  in  Upper  Egypt  (formerly  Croco- 
dilopolis,  now  Medinet-el-Fayum),  the  crocodile  is  wor- 
shipped ; and  a sacred  crocodile,  kept  in  a pond,  is 
perfectly  tame  and  familiar  with  the  priests.  He  is  called 
Suchus,  and  they  feed  him  with  meat  and  corn  and  wine, 
the  contributions  of  strangers.  One  of  the  Egyptian 
divinities,  apparently  that  to  whom  the  beast  was  con- 
secrated, is  invariably  pictured  with  the  head  of  a croco- 
dile; and  in  hieroglyphic  inscriptions  is  represented  by 
that  animal  with  the  tail  turned  under  the  body.  A 
similar  figure  is  common  in  the  temples  of  Siam ; and  a 
sacred  crocodile,  kept  in  a pond  in  the  manner  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  is  fed  by  Siamese  priests,  at  whose  call 
it  comes  to  the  surface  to  receive  the  rice,  fruit,  and  wine 
that  are  brought  to  it  daily. 

The  Beetle,  an  insect  peculiarly  sacred  to  the  Buddhists, 
was  the  Egyptian  sign  of  Phthah,  the  Father  of  Gods ; 
and  in  the  hieroglyphics  it  stands  for  the  name  of  that 
deity,  whose  head  is  either  surmounted  by  a beetle,  or  is 
itself  in  the  form  of  a beetle.  Elsewhere  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics, where  it  does  not  represent  Buddha,  it  evidently 
appears  as  the  symbol  of  generation  or  reproduction,  the 
meaning  most  anciently  attached  to  it ; whence  Dr. 
Young,  in  his  “ Hieroglyphical  Researches,”  inferred  its 
relation  to  Buddha.  Airs.  Hamilton  Gray,  in  her  work  on 
the  Sepulchres  of  Etruria,  observes  : “ As  scarabsei  existed 
long  before  we  had  any  account  of  idols,  I do  not  doubt  that 
they  were  originally  the  invention  of  some  really  devout 
mind  ; and  they  speak  to  us  in  strong  language  of  the  dan- 
ger of  making  material  symbols  of  immaterial  things. 
First,  the  symbol  came  to  be  trusted  in,  instead  of  the  being 
of  whom  it  was  the  sign.  Then  came  the  bodily  concep- 
tion and  manifestation  of  that  being,  or  his  attributes,  in  the 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  193 

form  of  idols.  Next,  the  representation  of  all  that  be- 
longs to  spirits,  good  and  bad.  And  finally,  the  deification 
of  every  imagination  of  the  heart  of  man,  — a written  and 
accredited  system  of  polytheism,  and  a monstrous  and 
hydra-headed  idolatry.” 

Such  is  the  religious  history  of  the  scarabteus,  a crea- 
ture that  so  early  attracted  the  notice  of  man  by  its 
ingenious  and  industrious  habits,  that  it  was  selected 
by  him  to  symbolize  the  Creator ; and  cutting  stones  to 
represent  it,*  he  wore  them  in  token  of  his  belief  in  a 
creator  of  all  things,  and  in  recognition  of  the  Divine 
Presence,  probably  attaching  to  them  at  first  no  more 
mysterious  import  or  virtue.  There  is  sound  reason  for 
believing  that  in  this  form  the  symbol  existed  before 
Abraham,  and  that  its  fundamental  signification  of  crea- 
tion or  generation  was  gradually  overbuilt  with  arbitrary 
speculations  and  fantastic  notions.  In  theory  it  degen- 
erated into  a crude  egoism,  a vaunting  and  hyper-stoic 
hostility  to  nature,  which,  though  intellectually  godless, 
was  not  without  that  universal  instinct  for  divinity  which, 
by  countless  ways,  seeks  with  an  ever-present  and  im- 
portunate longing  for  the  one  sublimated  and  eternal 
source  from  which  it  sprang. 

Through  twenty-five  million  six  hundred  thousand 
Asongkhies,  or  metempsychoses,  — according  to  the  over- 
powering computation  of  his  priests,  — did  Buddha  strug- 
gle to  attain  the  divine  omniscience  of  Niplian,  by  virtue 
of  which  he  remembers  every  form  he  ever  entered,  and 
beholds  with  the  clear  eyes  of  a god  the  endless  diversi- 
ties of  transmigration  in  the  animal,  human,  and  angelic 
worlds,  throughout  the  spaceless,  timeless,  numberless 
universe  of  visible  and  invisible  life.  According  to  He- 
raclides,  Pythagoras  used  to  say  of  himself,  that  he  re- 

* Six  rubies,  exquisitely  cut  in  tlie  form  of  beetles,  are  worn  as  studs 
by  the  present  King  of  Siam. 

9 


M 


194  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  TRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

membered  “ not  only  all  the  men,  but  all  the  animals  and 
all  the  plants,  his  soul  had  passed  through.”  That  Py- 
thagoras believed  and  taught  the  doctrine  of  transmigra- 
tion may  hardly  be  doubted,  but  that  he  originated  it  is 
very  questionable.  Herodotus  intimates  that  both  Or- 
pheus and  Pythagoras  derived  it  from  the  Egyptians,  but 
propounded  it  as  their  own,  without  acknowledgment. 

Nearly  every  male  inhabitant  of  Siam  enters  the  priest- 
hood at  least  once  in  his  lifetime.  Instead  of  the  more 
vexatious  and  scandalous  forms  of  divorce,  the  party 
aggrieved  may  become  a priest  or  a nun,  and  thus  the  mat- 
rimonial bond  is  at  once  dissolved  ; and  with  this  advan- 
tage, that  after  three  or  four  months  of  probation  they 
may  be  reconciled  and  reunited,  to  live  together  in  the 
world  again. 

Chow  Khoon  Sah,  or  “ His  Lordship  the  Lake,”  whose 
functions  in  the  Watt  P’hra  Keau  I have  described,  was  the 
High-Priest  of  Siam,  and  in  high  favor  with  his  Majesty. 
He  had  taken  holy  orders  with  the  double  motive  of  de- 
voting himself  to  the  study  of  Sanskrit  literature,  and  of 
escaping  the  fate,  that  otherwise  awaited  him,  of  becom- 
ing the  mere  thrall  of  his  more  fortunate  cousin,  the  king. 
In  the  palace  it  was  whispered  that  he  and  the  late  queen 
consort  had  been  tenderly  attached  to  each  other,  but 
that  the  lady’s  parents,  for  prudential  considerations,  dis- 
countenanced the  match ; “ and  so,”  on  the  eve  of  her 
betrothal  to  his  Majesty,  her  lover  had  sought  seclusion 
and  consolation  in  a Buddhist  monastery.  However  that 
may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  king  and  the  high-priest 
were  now  fast  friends.  The  latter  entertained  great  re- 
spect for  his  reverend  cousin,  whose  title  (“  The  Lake  ”) 
described  justly,  as  well  as  poetically,  the  graceful  seren- 
ity and  repose  of  his  demeanor. 

Chow  Khoon  Sah  lived  at  some  distance  from  the  pal- 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  105 


ace,  at  the  Watt  Brahmanee  Waid.  As  the  friendship  be- 
tween the  cousins  ripened,  his  Majesty  considered  that 
it  would  be  well  for  him  to  have  the  contemplative  stu- 
dent, prudent  adviser,  and  able  reasoner  nearer  to  him. 
With  this  idea,  and  for  a surprise  to  one  to  whom  all 
surprises  had  long  since  become  but  vanities  and  vexa- 
tions of  spirit,  he  caused  to  be  erected,  about  forty 
yards  from  the  Grand  Palace,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Meinam,  a temple  which  he  named  Rajah-Bali-dit-Sang, 
or  “ The  King  caused  me  to  be  built  ” ; and  at  the  same 
time,  as  an  appendage  to  the  temple,  a monastery  in  me- 
diaeval style,  — the  workmanship  in  both  structures  being 
most  substantial  and  elaborate. 

The  sculptures  and  carvings  on  the  pillars  and  facades 

— half-fabulous,  half-historical  figures,  conveying  ingen- 
ious allegories  of  the  triumph  of  virtue  over  the  passions 

— constituted  a singular  tribute  to  the  exemplary  fame 
of  the  high -priest.  The  grounds  were  planted  with  trees 
and  shrubs,  and  the  walks  gravelled,  thus  inviting  the 
contemplative  recluse  to  tranquil,  soothing  strolls.  These 
grounds  were  accessible  by  four  gates,  the  principal  one 
facing  the  east,  and  a private  portal  opening  on  the 
canal. 

The  laying  of  the  foundation  of  the  temple  and  mon- 
astery of  Eajah-Bah-dit-Sang  was  the  occasion  of  ex- 
traordinary festivities,  consisting  of  theatrical  spectacles 
and  performances,  a carnival  of  dancing,  mass  around 
every  corner-stone,  banquets  to  priests,  and  distributions 
of  clothing,  food,  and  money  to  the  poor.  The  king 
presided  every  morning  and  evening  under  a silken  can- 
opy ; and  even  those  favorites  of  the  harem  who  were 
admitted  to  the  royal  confidence  were  provided  with 
tents,  whence  they  could  witness  the  shows,  and  partici- 
pate in  the  rejoicings  in  the  midst  of  which  the  good 
work  went  on. 


196  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

After  the  several  services  of  mass  had  been  per- 
formed, and  the  corner-stones  consecrated  by  the  pouring 
on  of  oil  and  water,*  seven  tall  lamps  were  lighted  to 
burn  above  them  seven  days  and  nights,  and  seventy 
priests  in  groups  of  seven,  forming  a perfect  circle,  prayed 
continually,  holding  in  their  hands  the  mystic  web  of 
seven  threads,  that  weird  circlet  of  life  and  death. 

Then  the  youngest  and  fairest  virgins  of  the  land 
brought  offerings  of  corn  and  wine,  milk,  honey,  and 
flowers,  and  poured  them  on  the  consecrated  stones.  And 
after  that,  they  brought  pottery  of  all  kinds,  — vases, 
urns,  ewers,  goglets,  bowls,  cups,  and  dishes, — and,  fling- 
ing them  into  the  foundations,  united  with  zeal  and  re- 
joicing in  the  “meritorious”  work  of  pounding  them  into 
fine  dust ; and  while  the  instruments  of  music  and  the 
voices  of  the  male  and  female  singers  of  the  court  kept 
time  to  the  measured  crash  and  thud  of  the  wooden 
clubs  in  those  young  and  tender  hands,  the  king  cast 
into  the  foundation  coins  and  ingots  of  gold  and  silver. 

“ Do  you  understand  the  word  ' charity,’  or  maitri,  as 
your  apostle  St.  Paul  explains  it  in  the  thirteenth  chap- 
ter of  his  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  ? ” said  his  Maj- 
esty to  me  one  morning,  when  he  had  been  discussing 
the  religion  of  Sakyamuni,  the  Buddha. 

“ I believe  I do,  your  Majesty,”  was  my  reply. 

“ Then,  tell  me,  what  does  St.  Paul  really  mean,  to 
what  custom  does  he  allude,  when  he  says,  ‘ Even  if  I 
give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity,  it  prof- 
iteth  me  nothing  ’ ? ” 

“ Custom  ! ” said  I.  “ I do  not  know  of  any  custom. 
The  giving  of  the  body  to  be  burned  is  by  him  esteemed 
the  highest  act  of  devotion,  the  purest  sacrifice  man  can 
make  for  man.” 


Oil  is  the  emblem  of  life  and  love  ; water,  of  purity. 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  197 

“ You  have  said  well.  It  is  the  highest  act  of  devo- 
tion that  can  be  made,  or  performed,  by  man  for  man,  — 
that  giving  of  his  body  to  be  burned.  But  if  it  is  done 
from  a spirit  of  opposition,  for  the  sake  of  fame,  or  popu- 
lar applause,  or  for  any  other  such  motive,  is  it  still  to  be 
regarded  as  the  highest  act  of  sacrifice  ? ” 

“ That  is  just  what  St.  Paul  means  : the  motive  conse- 
crates the  deed.” 

“ But  all  men  are  not  fortified  with  the  self-control 
which  should  fit  them  to  be  great  exemplars  ; and  of  the 
many  who  have  appeared  in  that  character,  if  strict  in- 
quiry were  made,  their  virtue  would  be  found  to  proceed 
from  any  other  than  the  true  and  pure  spirit.  Sometimes 
it  is  indolence,  sometimes  restlessness,  sometimes  vanity 
impatient  for  its  gratification,  and  rushing  to  assume  the 
part  of  humility  for  the  purpose  of  self-delusion.” 

“ Now,”  said  the  King,  taking  several  of  his  long  strides 
in  the  vestibule  of  his  library,  and  declaiming  with  his 
habitual  emphasis,  " St  Paul,  in  this  chapter,  evidently 
and  strongly  applies  the  Buddhist’s  word  maitri,  or 
maihrce,  as  pronounced  by  some  Sanskrit  scholars  ; and 
explains  it  through  the  Buddhist’s  custom  of  giving  the 
body  to  be  burned,  which  was  practised  centuries  before 
the  Christian  era,  and  is  found  unchanged  in  parts  of 
China,  Ceylon,  and  Siam  to  this  day.  The  giving  of  the 
body  to  be  burned  has  ever  been  considered  by  devout 
Buddhists  the  most  exalted  act  of  self-abnegation. 

“ To  give  all  one’s  goods  to  feed  the  poor  is  common  in 
this  country,  with  princes  and  people,  — who  often  keep 
back  nothing  (not  even  one  coioree,  the  thousandth  part 
c i a cent)  to  provide  for  themselves  a handful  of  rice. 
But  then  they  stand  in  no  fear  of  starvation ; for  death 
by  hunger  is  unknown  where  Buddhism  is  preached  and 
practised. 

“ I know  a man,  of  royal  parentage,  and  once  possessed 


198  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

of  untold  riches.  In  his  youth  he  felt  such  pity  for  the 
poor,  the  old,  the  sick,  and  such  as  were  troubled  and  sor- 
rowful, that  he  became  melancholy,  and  after  spending 
several  years  in  the  continual  relief  of  the  needy  and 
helpless,  lie,  in  a moment,  gave  all  his  goods,  — in  a word, 
all, — ‘ to  feed  the  poor.’  This  man  lias  never  heard  of 
St.  Paul  or  his  writings  ; but  he  knows,  and  tries  to  com- 
prehend in  its  fulness,  the  Buddhist  word  maitri. 

“ At  thirty  he  became  a priest.  For  five  years  he  had 
toiled  as  a gardener ; for  that  was  the  occupation  he 
preferred,  because  in  the  pursuit  of  it  he  acquired  much 
useful  knowledge  of  the  medicinal  properties  of  plants, 
and  so  became  a ready  physician  to  those  who  could  not 
pay  for  their  healing.  But  he  could  not  rest  content  with 
so  imperfect  a life,  while  the  way  to  perfect  knowledge  of 
excellence,  truth,  and  charity  remained  open  to  him;  so 
he  became  a priest. 

“ This  happened  sixty-five  years  ago.  Now  he  is  nine- 
ty-five years  old  ; and,  I fear,  has  not  yet  found  the  truth 
and  excellence  he  has  been  in  search  of  so  long.  But  I 
know  no  greater  man  than  he.  He  is  great  in  the  Chris- 
tian sense,  — loving,  pitiful,  forbearing,  pure. 

“ Once,  when  he  was  a gardener,  he  was  robbed  of  his 
few  poor  tools  by  one  whom  he  had  befriended  in  many 
ways.  Some  time  after  that,  the  king  met  him,  and  in- 
quired of  his  necessities.  He  said  he  needed  tools  for  his 
gardening.  A great  abundance  of  such  implements  was 
sent  to  him  ; and  immediately  he  shared  them  with  his 
neighbors,  taking  care  to  send  the  most  and  best  to  the 
man  who  had  robbed  him. 

“ Of  the  little  that  remained  to  him,  he  gave  freely  to 
all  who  lacked.  Not  his  own,  but  another’s  wants,  were 
his  sole  argument  in  asking  or  bestowing.  Now,  he  is 
great  in  the  Buddhist  sense  also,  — not  loving  life  nor 
fearing  death,  desiring  nothing  the  world  can  give,  beyond 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  199 

the  peace  of  a beatified  spirit.  This  man  — who  is  now 
the  High-Priest  of  Siam  — would,  without  so  much  as  a 
thought  of  shrinking,  give  his  body,  alive  or  dead,  to  be 
burned,  if  so  he  might  obtain  one  glimpse  of  eternal 
truth,  or  save  one  soul  from  death  or  sorrow.” 

More  than  eighteen  months  after  the  First  King  of  Siam 
had  entertained  me  with  this  essentially  Buddhistic  argu- 
ment, and  its  simple  and  impressive  illustration,  a ] - rty 
of  pages  hurried  me  away  with  them,  just  as  the  setting 
sun  was  trailing  his  last  long,  lingering  shadows  through 
the  porches  of  the  palace.  His  Majesty  required  my 
presence;  and  his  Majesty’s  commands  were  absolute 
and  instant.  “ Find  and  fetch ! ” No  delay  was  to  be 
thought  of,  no  question  answered,  no  explanation  afforded, 
no  excuse  entertained.  So  with  resignation  I followed 
my  guides,  who  led  the  way  to  the  monastery  of  Watt 
Eajah-Bah-dit-Sang.  But  having  some  experience  of  the 
moods  and  humors  of  his  Majesty,  my  mind  was  not 
wholly  free  from  uneasiness.  Generally,  such  impetu- 
ous summoning  foreboded  an  interview  the  reverse  of 
agreeable. 

The  sun  had  set  in  glory  below  the  red  horizon  when  I 
entered  the  extensive  range  of  monastic  buildings  that 
adjoin  the  temple.  Wide  tracts  of  waving  corn  and 
avenues  of  oleanders  screened  from  view  the  distant  city, 
with  its  pagodas  and  palaces.  The  air  was  fresh  and 
balmy,  and  seemed  to  sigh  plaintively  among  the  betel 
and  cocoa  palms  that  skirt  the  monastery. 

The  pages  left  me  seated  on  a stone  step,  and  ran  to 
announce  my  presence  to  the  king.  Long  after  the  moon 
had  come  out  clear  and  cool,  and  I had  begun  to  wonder 
where  all  this  wTould  end,  a young  man,  robed  in  pure 
white,  and  bearing  in  one  hand  a small  lighted  taper  and 
a lily  in  the  other,  beckoned  me  to  enter,  and  follow  him ; 


200  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP. 

and  as  we  traversed  the  long,  low  passages  that  separate 
the  cells  of  the  priests,  the  weird  sound  of  voices,  chant- 
ing the  hymns  of  the  Buddhist  liturgy,  fell  upon  my  ear. 
The  darkness,  the  loneliness,  the  measured  monotone,  dis- 
tant and  dreamy,  all  was  most  romantic  and  exciting, 
even  to  a matter-of-fact  English  woman  like  myself. 

As  the  page  approached  the  threshold  of  one  of  the 
cells,  he  whispered  to  me,  in  a voice  full  of  entreaty,  to 
put  off  my  shoes  ; at  the  same  time  prostrating  himself 
with  a movement  and  expression  of  the  most  abject  hu- 
mility before  the  door,  where  he  remained,  without  chan- 
ging his  posture.  I stooped  involuntarily,  and  scanned 
curiously,  anxiously,  the  scene  within  the  cell.  There  sat 
the  king ; and  at  a sign  from  him  I presently  entered, 
and  sat  down  beside  him. 

On  a rude  pallet,  about  six  and  a half  feet  long,  and 
not  more  than  three  feet  wide,  and  with  a bare  block  of 
wood  for  a pillow,  lay  a dying  priest.  A simple  garment 
of  faded  yellow  covered  his  person  ; his  hands  were  fold- 
ed on  his  breast;  his  head  was  bald,  and  the  few  blanched 
hairs  that  might  have  remained  to  fringe  his  sunken  tem- 
ples had  been  carefully  shorn,  — his  eyebrows,  too,  were 
closely  shaven  ; his  feet  were  bare  and  exposed  ; his  eyes 
were  fixed,  not  in  the  vacant  stare  of  death,  but  with 
solemn  contemplation  or  scrutiny,  upward.  No  sign  of 
discpuet  was  there,  no  external  suggestion  of  pain  or 
trouble  ; I was  at  once  startled  and  puzzled.  Was  he 
dying,  or  acting  ? 

In  the  attitude  of  his  person,  in  the  expression  of  his 
countenance,  I beheld  sublime  reverence,  repose,  absorp- 
tion. He  seemed  to  be  communing  with  some  spiritual 
presence. 

My  entrance  and  approach  made  no  change  in  him. 
At  his  right  side  was  a dim  taper  in  a gold  candlestick ; 
on  the  left  a dainty  golden  vase,  filled  with  white  lilies, 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  PRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  201 

freshly  gathered : these  were  offerings  from  the  king. 
One  of  the  lilies  had  been  laid  on  his  breast,  and  con- 
trasted touchingly  with  the  dingy,  faded  yellow  of  his 
robe.  Just  over  the  region  of  the  heart  lay  a coil  of  un- 
spun cotton  thread,  which,  being  divided  into  seventy- 
seven  filaments,  was  distributed  to  the  hands  of  the 
priests,  who,  closely  seated,  quite  filled  the  cell,  so  that 
none  could  have  moved  without  difficulty.  Before  each 
priest  were  a lighted  taper  and  a lily,  symbols  of  faith  and 
purity.  From  time  to  time  one  or  other  of  that  solemn 
company  raised  his  voice,  and  chanted  strangely  ; and  all 
the  choir  responded  in  unison.  These  were  the  Avoids,  as 
they  Avere  afterward  translated  for  me  by  the  king. 

First  Voice.  Sang-Khang  sara  nang  gach’  cha  mi ! 
(Thou  Excellence,  or  Perfection  ! I take  refuge  in  thee.) 

All.  Nama  Pootho  sang-Khang  sara  nang  gach’  cha 
mi  ! (Thou  avIio  art  named  Poot-tho  ! — either  God, 
Buddha,  or  Mercy,  — I take  refuge  in  thee.) 

First  Voice.  Tuti  ampi  sang-Khang  sara  nang  gach’ 
cha  mi ! (Thou  Holy  One ! I take  refuge  in  thee.) 

All.  Te  satiya  sang-Khang  sara  nang  gach’  cha  mi! 
(Thou  Truth,  I take  refuge  in  thee.) 

As  the  sound  of  the  prayer  fell  on  his  ear,  a flickering 
smile  lit  up  the  pale,  sallow  countenance  of  the  dying 
man  Avith  a visible  mild  radiance,  as  though  the  charity 
and  humility  of  his  nature,  in  departing,  left  the  light  of 
their  loveliness  there.  The  absorbing  rapture  of  that 
look,  which  seemed  to  overtake  the  invisible,  was  almost 
too  holy  to  gaze  upon.  Biches,  station,  honors,  kindred, 
he  had  resigned  them  all,  more  than  half  a century  since, 
in  his  love  for  the  poor  and  his  longing  after  truth. 
Here  Avas  none  of  the  Avavering  or  A’agueness  or  incohe- 
rence of  a Avandering,  delirious  death.  He  was  going  to 
his  clear,  eternal  calm.  With  a smile  of  perfect  peace  he 
said:  “To  your  Majesty  I commend  the  poor;  and  this 
9* 


202  BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  TRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP 

that  remains  of  me  I give  to  be  burned.”  And  that,  his 
last  gift,  was  indeed  his  all. 

I can  imagine  no  spectacle  more  worthy  to  excite  a 
compassionate  emotion,  to  impart  an  abiding  impression 
of  reverence,  than  the  tranquil  dying  of  that  good  old 
“ pagan.”  Gradually  his  breathing  became  more  labo- 
rious , and  presently,  turning  with  a great  effort  toward  the 
king,  he  said,  Chan  cha  pi  dauni  ! — “I  will  go  now  ! ” 
Instantly  the  priests  joined  in  a loud  psalm  and  chant, 
“ P’hra  Arahang  sang-Khang  sara  nang  gach’  clia  mi ! ” 
(Thou  Sacred  One,  I take  refuge  in  thee.)  A few  min- 
utes more,  and  the  spirit  of  the  High-Priest  of  Siam  had 
calmly  breathed  itself  away.  The  eyes  were  open  and 
fixed ; the  hands  still  clasped ; the  expression  sweetly 
content.  My  heart  and  eyes  were  full  of  tears,  yet  I 
was  comforted.  By  what  hope  ? I know  not,  for  I dared 
not  question  it. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  I was  again  sum- 
moned by  his  Majesty  to  witness  the  burning  of  that  body. 

It  was  carried  to  the  cemetery  Watt  Sah  Kate ; and 
there  men,  hired  to  do  such  dreadful  offices  upon  the  dead, 
cut  off  all  the  flesh  and  flung  it  to  the  hungry  dogs  that 
haunt  that  monstrous  garbage-field  of  Buddhism.  The 
bones,  and  all  that  remained  upon  them,  were  thoroughly 
burned ; and  the  ashes,  carefully  gathered  in  an  earthen 
pot,  were  scattered  in  the  little  gardens  of  wretches  too 
poor  to  buy  manure.  All  that  was  left  now  of  the  ven- 
erable devotee  was  the  remembrance  of  a look. 

“ This,”  said  the  King,  as  I turned  away  sickened  and 
sorrowful,  “is  to  give  one’s  body  to  be  burned.  This  is 
what  your  St.  Paul  had  in  his  mind,  — this  custom  of 
our  Buddhist  ancestors,  this  complete  self-abnegation  in 
life  and  in  death,  — when  he  said,  ‘ Even  if  I give  my 
body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity  [viaitri],  it 
profiterh  me  nothing.’” 


BUDDHIST  DOCTRINE,  TRIESTS,  AND  WORSHIP.  203 


COMMON  MAXIMS  OF  THE  PRIESTS  OF  SIAM. 

Glory  not  in  thyself,  but  rather  in  thy  neighbor. 

Dig  not  the  earth,  which  is  the  source  of  life  and  the 
mother  of  all. 

Cause  no  tree  to  die. 

Kill  no  beast,  nor  insect,  not  even  the  smallest  ant  or  fly. 
Eat  nothing  between  meals. 

Regard  not  singers,  dancers,  nor  players  on  instruments. 
Use  no  perfume  but  sweetness  of  thoughts. 

Neither  sit  nor  sleep  in  high  places. 

Be  lowly  in  thy  heart,  that  thou  mayst  he  lowly  in 
thy  act. 

Hoard  neither  silver  nor  gold. 

Entertain  not  thy  thoughts  with  worldly  things. 

Do  no  work  but  the  work  of  charity  and  truth. 

Give  not  flowers  unto  women,  hut  rather  prayers. 
Contract  no  friendship  with  the  hope  of  gain. 

Borrow  nothing,  hut  rather  deny  thy  want. 

Lend  not  unto  usury. 

Keep  neither  lance,  nor  sword,  nor  any  deadly  weapon. 
Judge  not  thy  neighbor. 

Bake  not,  nor  burn. 

Wink  not.  Be  not  familiar  nor  contemptuous. 

Labor  not  for  hire,  but  for  charity. 

Look  not  upon  women  unchastely. 

Make  no  incisions  that  may  draw  blood  or  sap,  which 
is  the  life  of  man  and  nature. 

Give  no  medicines  which  contain  poison,  hut  study  to 
acquire  the  true  art  of  healing,  which  is  the  highest  of  all 
arts,  and  pertains  to  the  wise  and  benevolent. 

Love  all  men  equally. 

Perform  not  thy  meditations  in  public  places. 

Make  no  idols  of  any  kind. 


XXIII. 


CREMATION. 

AS  soon  as  his  Majesty  had  recovered  from  his  genu- 
ine convulsion  of  grief  for  the  death  of  his  sweet 
little  princess,  Somdetch  Chow  Fa-ying,  he  proceeded, 
habited  in  white,  with  all  his  family,  to  visit  the  cham- 
ber of  mourning.  The  grand-aunt  of  the  dead  child,  who 
seemed  the  most  profoundly  afflicted  of  all  that  numerous 
household,  still  lay  prostrate  at  the  feet  of  her  pale  cold 
darling,  and  would  not  be  comforted.  As  his  Majesty 
entered,  silently  ushered,  she  moved,  and  mutely  laid  her 
head  upon  his  feet,  moaning,  Poot-tho  ! Poot-tho  ! There 
were  tears  and  sighs  and  heart -wrung  sobs  around. 
Speechless,  but  with  trembling  lips,  the  royal  father  took 
gently  in  his  arms  the  little  corpse,  and  bathed  it  in  the 
Siamese  manner,  by  pouring  cold  water  upon  it.  In  this 
he  was  followed  by  other  members  of  the  royal  family, 
the  more  distant  relatives,  and  such  ladies  of  the  harem 
as  chanced  to  be  in  waiting,  — each  advancing  in  the 
order  of  rank,  and  pouring  pure  cold  water  from  a silver 
bowl  over  the  slender  body.  Two  sisters  of  the  king  then 
shrouded  the  corpse  in  a sitting  posture,  overlaid  it  with 
perfumes  and  odoriferous  gums,  frankincense  and  myrrh, 
and,  lastly,  swaddled  it  in  a fine  winding-sheet.  Finally 
it  was  deposited  in  a golden  urn,  and  this  again  in  an- 
other of  finer  gold,  richly  adorned  with  precious  stones. 
The  inner  urn  has  an  iron  grating  in  the  bottom,  and 
the  outer  an  orifice  at  its  most  pendent  point,  through 


CREMATION. 


205 


which,  by  means  of  a tap  or  stop-cock,  the  fluids  are 
drawn  off  daily,  until  the  cadavre  has  become  quite 
dry. 

This  double  urn  was  borne  on  a gilt  sedan,  under  a 
royal  gilt  umbrella,  to  the  temple  of  the  Maha  Phrasat, 
where  it  was  mounted  on  a graduated  platform  about  six 
feet  high.  During  this  part  of  the  ceremony,  and  while 
the  trumpeters  and  the  blowers  of  conch-shells  performed 
their  lugubrious  parts,  his  Majesty  sat  apart,  his  face 
buried  in  his  hands,  confessing  a keener  anguish  than  had 
ever  before  cut  his  selfish  heart. 

The  urn  being  thus  elevated,  all  the  insignia  pertaining 
to  the  rank  of  the  little  princess  were  disposed  in  formal 
order  below  it,  as  though  at  her  feet.  Then  the  musicians 
struck  up  a passionate  passage,  ending  in  a plaintive  and 
truly  solemn  dirge ; after  which  his  Majesty  and  all  the 
princely  company  retired,  leaving  the  poor  clod  to  await, 
in  its  pagan  gauds  and  mockery,  the  last  offices  of  friend- 
ship. But  not  always  alone  ; for  thrice  daily  — at  early 
dawn,  and  noon,  and  gloaming  — the  musicians  came  to 
perform  a requiem  for  the  soul  of  the  dead,  — “ that  it 
may  soar  on  high,  from  the  flaming,  fragrant  pyre  for 
which  it  is  reserved,  and  return  to  its  foster  parents, 
Ocean,  Earth,  Air,  Sky.”  With  these  is  joined  a concert 
of  mourning  women,  who  bewail  the  early  dead,  extolling 
her  beauty,  graces,  virtues ; while  in  the  intervals,  four 
priests  (who  are  relieved  every  fourth  hour)  chant  the 
praises  of  Buddha,  bidding  the  gentle  spirit  “ Pass  on ! 
Pass  on ! ” and  boldly  speed  through  the  labyrinth  before 
it,  “ through  high,  deep,  and  famous  things,  through 
good  and  evil  things,  through  truth  and  error,  through 
wisdom  and  folly,  through  sorrow,  suffering,  hope,  life, 
joy,  love,  death,  through  endless  mutability,  into  immu- 
tability ! ” 

These  services  are  performed  with  religious  care  daily 


206 


CREMATION. 


for  six  months ; * that  is,  until  the  time  appointed  for 
cremation.  Meanwhile,  in  the  obsequies  of  the  Princess 
Fa-ying,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  erection  of  the 
customary  P’hra-mene,  — a temporary  structure  of  great 
splendor,  where  the  body  lies  in  state  for  several  days, 
on  a throne  dazzling  with  gold  and  silver  ornaments  and 
precious  stones.  . 

For  the  funeral  honors  of  royalty  it  is  imperative  that 
the  P’hra-mene  he  constructed  of  virgin  timber.  Trunks 
of  teak,  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in  length,  and  of  proportionate  girth,  are  felled  in  the 
forests  of  Myolonghee,  and  brought  down  the  Meinain  in 
rafts.  These  trunks,  planted  thirty  feet  deep,  one  at  each 
corner  of  a square,  serve  as  pillars,  not  less  than  a hun- 
dred and  seventy  feet  high,  to  support  a sixty-foot  spire, 
an  octagonal  pyramid,  covered  with  gold  leaf.  Attached 
to  this  pyramid  are  four  wings,  forty  feet  long,  with 
handsome  porches  looking  to  the  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass ; here  also  are  four  colossal  figures  of  heroic 
myths,  each  with  a lion  couchant  at  its  feet. 

On  one  side  of  the  square  reserved  for  the  P’hra-mene, 
a vast  hall  is  erected  to  accommodate  the  Supreme  King 
and  his  family  while  attending  the  funeral  ceremonies. 
The  several  roofs  of  this  temporary  edifice  have  peculiar 
horn-like  projections  at  the  ends,  and  are  covered  with 
crimson  cloth,  while  golden  draperies  are  suspended 
from  the  ceiling.  The  entire  space  around  the  P’hra- 
mene  is  matted  with  bamboo  wicker-work,  and  decorated 
with  innumerable  standards  peculiar  to  Siam.  Here  and 
there  may  be  seen  grotesque  cartoons  of  the  wars  of  gods 
and  giants,  and  rude  landscapes  supposed  to  represent  the 
Buddhist’s  heaven,  with  lakes  and  groves  and  gardens. 
Beycnd  these  are  playhouses  for  theatrical  displays,  pup- 
pet-shows, masquerades,  posturing,  somersaulting,  leap- 

* Twelve  months  for  a king. 


CREMATION. 


207 


in",  wrestling,  balancing  on  ropes  and  wires,  and  the 
tricks  of  professional  buffoons.  Here  also  are  restaurants, 
or  cook-shops,  for  all  classes  of  people  above  the  degree 
of  boors ; and  these  are  open  day  and  night  during  the 
period  devoted  to  the  funeral  rites. 

The  grand  lodge  erected  for  the  Second  King  and  his 
household,  at  the  cremation  of  his  little  niece,  resembled 
that  of  his  brother,  the  Supreme  King,  in  the  regal  style 
of  its  decorations. 

The  centre  of  the  P’hra-m^ne  is  a lofty  octagon ; and 
directly  under  the  great  spire  is  a gorgeous  eight-sided 
pyramid,  diminishing  by  right-angled  gradations  to  a 
truncated  top,  its  base  being  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  higher  by  twenty  feet  than  the  surrounding 
buildings.  On  this  pyramid  stood  the  urn  of  gold  con- 
taining the  remains  of  the  royal  child.  Above  the  urn  a 
golden  canopy  hung  from  the  lofty  ceiling,  and  far  above 
this  again  a circular  white  awning  was  spread,  represent- 
ing the  firmament  studded  with  silver  stars.  Under  the 
canopy,  and  just  over  little  Fa-ying’s  urn,  the  whitest  and 
most  fragrant  flowers,  gathered  and  arranged  by  those 
who  loved  her  best  in  life,  formed  a bright  odoriferous 
bower.  The  pyramid  itself  was  decorated  with  rare  and 
beautiful  gifts,  of  glass,  porcelain,  alabaster,  silver,  gold, 
and  artificial  flowers,  with  images  of  birds,  beasts,  men, 
women,  children,  and  angels.  Splendid  chandeliers  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling,  and  lesser  lights  on  the  angles 
of  the  pyramid,  illuminated  the  funeral  hall. 

These  showy  preparations  completed,  the  royal  mourn- 
ers only  waited  for  the  appointed  time  when  the  remains 
must  be  laid  in  state  upon  the  consecrated  pyre.  At 
dawn  of  that  day,  all  the  princes,  nobles,  governors,  and 
superior  priests  of  the  kingdom,  with  throngs  of  baser 
men,  women,  and  children,  in  their  holiday  attire,  came 
to  grace  the  “ fiery  consummation  ” of  little  Fa-ying.  A 


208 


CREMATION. 


royal  barge  conveyed  me,  with  my  boy,  to  the  palace, 
whence  we  followed  on  foot. 

The  gold  urn,  in  an  ivory  chariot  of  antique  fashion, 
richly  gilt,  was  drawn  by  a pair  of  milk-white  horses,  and 
followed  and  attended  by  hundreds  of  men  clad  in  pure 
white.  It  was  preceded  by  two  other  chariots  ; in  the 
first  sat  the  high-priest,  reading  short,  pithy  aphorisms 
and  precepts  from  the  sacred  books ; in  the  other  fol- 
lowed the  full  brothers  of  the  deceased.  A strip  of 
silver  cloth,  six  inches  wide,  attached  to  the  urn,  was 
loosely  extended  to  the  seats  of  the  royal  mourners  in  this 
second  chariot,  and  thence  to  the  chariot  of  the  high- 
priest,  on  whose  lap  the  ends  were  laid,  symbolizing  the 
mystic  union  between  death,  life,  and  the  Buddha. 

Next  after  the  urn  came  a chariot  laden  with  the  sa- 
cred sandal-wood,  the  aromatic  gums,  and  the  wax  tapers. 
The  wood  was  profusely  carved  with  emblems  of  the  in- 
destructibility of  matter ; for  though  the  fire  apparently 
consumes  the  pile,  and  with  it  the  body,  the  priests  are 
careful  to  interpret  the  process  as  that  by  which  both  are 
endued  with  new  vitality;  thus  everything  consecrated 
to  the  religious  observances  of  Buddhism  is  made  to 
typify  some  latent  truth. 

Then  came  a long  procession  of  mythological  figures, 
nondescripts  drawn  on  small  wooden  wheels,  and  covered 
with  offerings  for  the  priests.  These  were  followed  by 
crowds  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  bearing  in  their  hands 
the  mystic  triform  flower,  emblematic  of  the  sacred  circle, 
Om,  or  Aum.  To  hold  this  mystic  flower  above  the  head, 
and  describe  with  it  endless  circles  in  the  air,  is  regarded 
as  a performance  of  peculiar  virtue  and  “ merit,”  and  one 
of  the  most  signal  acts  of  devotion  possible  to  a Buddhist. 
And  yet,  as  the  symbol  of  One  great  Central  Spirit, 
whose  name  it  is  profanation  to  utter,  the  symbol  is 
strangely  at  variance  with  the  doctrines  of  Buddhism. 


CREMATION. 


209 


The  moment  the  strange  concourse,  human  and  mytho- 
logical, began  to  move,  the  conch-shells,  horns,  trumpets, 
sackbuts,  pipes,  dulcimers,  flutes,  and  harps  rent  the  air 
with  wild  wailing;  but  above  the  din  rose  the  deep, 
booming,  measured  beat  of  the  death-drums.  Very  subtile, 
and  indescribably  stirring  is  this  ancient  music,  with  its 
various  weird  and  prolonged  cadences,  and  that  solemn 
thundering  boom  enhancing  the  peculiar  sweetness  of  the 
dirge  as  it  rises  and  falls. 

Under  the  spell  of  such  sounds  as  these  the  procession 
moved  slowly  to  the  P’hra-mene.  Here  the  urn  was  lifted 
by  means  of  pulleys,  and  enthroned  on  the  splendid  pedes- 
tal prepared  for  it.  The  silver  cloth  from  the  chariot 
of  the  liigh-priest  was  laid  upon  it,  the  ends  drooping  on 
the  eastern  and  western  sides  to  the  rich  carpet  of  the 
floor.  A hundred  priests,  fifty  on  either  hand,  rehearsed 
in  concert,  seated  on  the  floor,  long  hymns  in  Pali  from 
the  sacred  books,  principally  embodying  melancholy  re- 
flections on  the  brevity  and  uncertainty  of  human  life. 
After  which,  holding  the  silver  cloth  between  the  thumb 
and  forefinger,  they  joined  in  silent  prayer,  thereby,  as 
they  suppose,  communicating  a saving  virtue  to  the  cloth, 
which  conveys  it  to  the  dead  within  the  urn.  They  con- 
tinued thus  engaged  for  about  an  hour,  and  then  with- 
drew to  give  place  to  another  hundred,  and  so  on,  until 
thousands  of  priests  had  taken  part  in  the  solemn  exer- 
cises. Meanwhile  the  four  already  mentioned  still  prayed, 
day  and  night,  at  the  Maha  Plirasat.  A service  was  like- 
wise performed  for  the  royal  family  twice  a day,  in  an 
adjacent  temporary  chapel,  where  all  the  court  attended, 
— including  the  noble  ladies  of  the  harem,  who  occupy 
private  oratories,  hung  with  golden  draperies,  behind 
which  they  can  see  and  hear  without  being  seen.  As 
long  as  these  funeral  ceremonies  last,  the  numerous  con- 
course of  priests  is  sumptuously  entertained. 


N 


210 


CREMATION. 


At  nightfall  the  P’hra-m£ne  is  brilliantly  illuminated, 
within  and  without,  and  the  people  are  entertained  with 
dramatic  spectacles  derived  from  the  Chinese,  Hindoo,  Ma- 
layan, and  Persian  classics.  Effigies  of  the  fabulous  Hy- 
dra, or  dragon  with  seven  heads,  illuminated,  and  animated 
by  men  concealed  within,  are  seen  endeavoring  to  swal- 
low the  moon,  represented  by  a globe  of  fire.  Another 
monster,  probably  the  Chimsera,  with  the  head  and  breast 
of  a lion  and  the  body  of  a goat,  vomits  flame  and  smoke. 
There  are  also  figures  of  Echidna  and  Cerberus,  the  former 
represented  as  a beautiful  nymph,  but  terminating  below 
the  waist  in  the  coils  of  a dragon  or  python ; and  the 
latter  as  a triple-headed  dog,  evidently  the  canine  buga- 
boo that  is  supposed  to  have  guarded  Pluto’s  dreadful 
gates. 

About  nine  o’clock  fireworks  were  ignited  by  the  king’s 
own  hand,  — a very  beautiful  display,  representing,  among 
other  graceful  forms,  a variety  of  shrubbery,  which  gradu- 
ally blossomed  with  roses,  dahlias,  oleanders,  and  other 
flowers. 

The  flinging  of  money  and  trinkets  to  the  rabble  is 
usually  the  most  exciting  of  the  pranks  which  diversify 
the  funeral  ceremonies  of  Siamese  royalty ; in  this  mal  a 
apropos  pastime  his  Majesty  took  a lively  part.  The  per- 
sonal effects  of  the  deceased  are  divided  into  two  or  more 
equal  portions,  one  of  which  is  bestowed  on  the  poor, 
another  on  the  priests  ; memorials  and  complimentary 
tokens  are  presented  to  the  princes  and  nobles,  and  the 
friends  of  the  royal  family.  The  more  costly  articles  are 
ticketed  and  distributed  by  lottery ; and  smaller  objects, 
such  as  rings  and  gold  and  silver  coins,  are  put  into 
lemons,  which  his  Majesty,  standing  on  the  piazza  of  his 
temporary  palace,  flings  among  the  sea  of  heads  below. 
There  is  also  at  each  of  the  four  corners  of  the  P’lira- 
mene,  an  artificial  tree,  bearing  gold  and  silver  fruit,  which 


CREMATION. 


211 


is  plucked  by  officers  of  the  court,  and  tossed  to  the  poor 
on  every  side.  Each  throw  is  hailed  by  a wild  shout 
from  the  multitude,  and  followed  by  a mad  scramble. 

In  this  connection  the  following  “notification”  from 
the  king’s  hand  will  be  intelligible  to  the  reader. 


“TIIE  NOTIFICATION 

“ In  regard  to  the  mourning  distribution  and  donation 
in  funeral  service  or  ceremony  of  cremation  of  the  re- 
mains of  Her  late  Eoyal  Highness  celestial  Princess  Som- 
detch  Chowfa  Chandrmondol  Soblion  Bhagiawati,*  whose 
death  took  place  on  the  12th  May,  Anno  Christi  1863. 

“ This  Part  consisting  of  a glasscoverbox  enclosing  a 
idol  of  Chinese  fabulousquadruped  called  ' sai  ’ or  Lion, 
covered  with  goldleaf  ornamented  with  coined  pieces  of 
silver  & rings  a black  bag  of  funeral  balls  enclosing 
some  pieces  of  gold  and  silver  coins  &c.,  in  funeral  ser- 
vice of  Her  late  Royal  Highness  the  forenamed  princess, 
the  ninth  daughter  or  sixteenth  offspring  of  His  Majesty 
the  reigning  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  which  took  place  in 
ceremony  continued  from  16th  to  21st  day  of  February 
Anno  Christi  1864  prepared  ex-property  of  Her  late  la- 
mented Royal  Highness  the  deceased,  and  assistant  funds 
from  certain  members  of  the  Royal  Family,  designed  from 
his  Gracious  Majesty  Somdetch  P’hra  Paramendr  Malia 
Mongkut,  Her  late  Royal  Highness’  bereaved  Royal  father. 
Their  Royal  Highnesses  celestial  princes  Somdetch  Chowfa 
Chulalonkorn  the  full  elder  brother,  Chowfa  Chaturont 
Rasmi,  and  Chowfa  Bhangurangsi  Swang-wongse,  the  two 
younger  full  brothers,  and  His  Royal  Highness  Prince 
Nobhawongs  Krommun  Maha-suarsivivalas  the  eldest  half 
brother.  Their  Royal  Highnesses  twenty-five  princes, 
Krita-bhinihar,  Gaganang  Yugol  &c.  the  younger  lialf- 

* Fa-ying. 


212 


CREMATION. 


brothers,  and  their  Royal  Highnesses  seven  princesses, 
Yingyawlacks,  Dacksinja,  and  Somawati,  &c.,  the  elder 
sisters,  18  princesses,  Srinagswasti,  &c.,  the  younger  half- 
sisters  of  Her  late  Royal  Highness  the  deceased,  for 

friendly  acceptance  of who  is  one  of 

His  present  Siamese  Majesty’s  friends  who  either  have 
ever  been  acquainted  in  person  or  through  means  of  cor- 
respondence &c.  certain  of  whom  have  ever  seen  Her  late 
lloyal  Highness,  and  some  have  been  acquainted  with 
certain  of  her  late  lloyal  Highness  the  deceased’s  elder 
or  younger  brothers  and  sisters. 

“ His  Siamese  Majesty,  with  his  29  sons,  and  25 
daughters  above  partly  named,  trusts  that  this  part 
will  be  acceptable  to  every  one  of  His  Gracious  Maj- 
esty’s and  their  Royal  Highnesses’  friends  who  ever  have 
been  acquainted  with  his  present  Majesty,  and  certain 
of  Their  Royal  Highnesses  or  Her  late  Royal  Highness 
the  deceased,  either  in  person  or  by  correspondence,  or 
only  by  name  through  cards  &c.  for  a token  of  remem- 
brance of  Her  late  Royal  Highness  the  deceased  and  for 
feeling  of  Emotion  that  this  path  ought  to  be  followed 
by  every  one  of  human  beings  after  long  or  short  time,  as 
the  lights  of  lives  of  all  living  beings  are  like  flames  of 
candles  lighted  in  opening  air  without  covering  and  Pro- 
tecting on  every  side,  so  it  shall  be  considered  with  great 
emotion  by  the  readers. 

“ Dated  Royal  Funeral  place. 

Bangkok,  20tli  February,  Auno  Christi  1864.” 


Thus  twelve  days  were  passed  in  feasting,  drinking, 
praying,  preaching,  sporting,  gambling  and  scrambling. 
On  the  thirteenth,  the  double  urn,  with  its  melancholy 
moral,  was  removed  from  the  pyramid,  and  the  inner  one, 
with  the  grating,  was  laid  on  a bed  of  fragrant  sandal- 
wood, and  aromatic  gums,  connected  with  a train  of  gun- 


CREMATION. 


213 


powder,  which  the  king  ignited  with  a match  from  the 
sacred  fire  that  burns  continually  in  the  temple  Watt 
P’hra  Keau.  The  Second  King  then  lighted  his  candles 
from  the  same  torch,  and  laid  them  on  the  pyre ; and  so 
on,  in  the  order  of  rank,  down  to  the  meanest  slave, 
until  many  hundreds  of  wax  candles  and  boxes  of  pre- 
cious spices  and  fragrant  gums  were  cast  into  the  flames. 
The  funeral  orchestra  then  played  a wailing  dirge,  and 
the  mourning  women  broke  into  a concerted  and  pro- 
longed keen,  of  the  most  ear-piercing  and  heart-rending 
description. 

When  the  fire  had  quite  burned  itself  out,  all  that  re- 
mained of  the  bones,  charred  and  blackened,  was  care- 
fully gathered,  deposited  in  a third  and  smaller  urn  of 
gold,  and  again  conveyed  in  great  state  to  the  Maha  Phra- 
sat.  The  ashes  were  also  collected  with  scrupulous  pains 
in  a pure  cloth  of  white  muslin,  and  laid  in  a gold  dish  ; 
afterward,  attended  by  all  the  mourning  women  and  mu- 
sicians, and  escorted  by  a procession  of  barges,  it  was 
floated  some  miles  down  the  river,  and  there  committed 
to  the  waters. 

Nothing  left  of  our  lovely  darling  but  a few  charred 
bits  of  rubbish  ! But  in  memory  I still  catch  glimpses  of 
the  sylph-like  form,  half  veiled  in  the  shroud  of  flame 
that  wrapped  her  last,  but  with  the  innocent,  questioning 
eyes  still  turned  to  me  ; and  as  I look  back  into  their 
depths  of  purity  and  love,  again  and  again  I mourn,  as  at 
first,  for  that  which  made  me  feel,  more  and  more  by  its 
sympathy,  the  peculiar  desolation  of  my  life  in  the  palace. 

Immediately  on  the  death  of  a Supreme  King  an  order 
is  issued  for  the  universal  shaving  of  the  bristly  tuft 
from  the  heads  of  all  male  subjects.  Only  those  princes 
who  are  older  than  their  deceased  sovereign  are  exempt 
from  the  operation  of  tins  law. 


214 


CREMATION. 


Upon  his  successor  devolves  the  duty  of  providing  for 
the  erection  of  the  royal  P’hra-m&ne  — as  to  the  propor- 
tions and  adornment  of  which  he  is  supposed  to  he 
guided  by  regard  for  the  august  rank  of  the  deceased,  and 
the  public  estimation  in  which  his  name  and  fame  are 
held.  Eoyal  despatches  are  forthwith  sent  to  the  gov- 
ernors of  four  different  provinces  in  the  extreme  north, 
where  the  noblest  timber  abounds,  commanding  each  of 
them  to  furnish  one  of  the  great  pillars  for  the  P’hra- 
m&ne.  These  must  be  of  the  finest  wood,  perfectly 
straight,  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long,  and  not  less  than  twelve  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence. 

At  the  same  time  twelve  pillars,  somewhat  smaller,  are 
required  from  the  governors  of  twelve  other  provinces; 
besides  much  timber  in  other  forms  necessary  to  the  con- 
struction of  the  grand  funeral  hall  and  its  numerous  sup- 
plementary buildings.  As  sacred  custom  will  not  tolerate 
the  presence  of  pillars  that  have  already  been  used  for 
any  purpose  whatever,  it  is  indispensable  that  fresh  ones, 
“ virgin  trunks,”  be  procured  for  every  new  occasion  of 
the  obsequies  of  royalty.  These  four  great  trunks  are 
hard  to  find,  and  can  be  floated  down  the  Meinam  to  the 
capital  only  at  tine  seasons  when  that  stream  and  its  trib- 
utaries are  high.  This  is  perhaps  the  natural  cause  of  the 
long  interval  that  elapses  — twelve  months  — between 
the  death  and  the  cremation  of  a Siamese  king. 

The  “ giant  boles  ” are  dragged  in  primitive  fashion  to 
the  banks  of  the  stream  by  elephants  and  buffaloes,  and 
shipped  in  rafts.  Arrived  at  Bangkok,  they  are  hauled 
on  rollers  inch  by  inch,  by  men  working  with  a rude 
windlass  and  levers,  to  the  site  of  the  P’hra-mene. 

The  following  description  of  the  cremation,  at  Bejre- 
puri,  of  a man  “ in  the  middle  walks  of  life,”  is  taken 
from  the  Bangkok  Recorder  of  May  24,  1866  : - — 


CREMATION. 


215 


“ The  corpse  was  first  to  be  offered  to  the  vultures,  a 
hundred  or  more.  Before  the  coffin  was  opened  the  filthy 
and  horrible  gang  had  assembled,  ‘ for  wheresoever  the 
carcass  is,  there  will  the  eagles  (vultures)  be  gathered 
together.’  They  were  perched  on  the  ridges  of  the  tem- 
ple, and  even  on  small  trees  and  bushes,  within  a few  feet 
of  the  body ; and  so  greedy  were  they  that  the  sexton 
and  his  assistants  had  to  beat  them  off  many  times  before 
the  coffin  could  be  opened.  They  seemed  to  know  that 
there  would  be  but  a mouthful  for  each,  if  divided  among 
them  all,  and  the  pack  of  greedy  dogs  besides,  that  waited 
for  their  share.  The  body  was  taken  from  the  coffin  and 
laid  on  a pile  of  wood  that  had  been  prepared  on  a small 
temporary  altar.  Then  the  birds  were  allowed  to  descend 
upon  the  corpse  and  tear  it  as  they  liked.  For  a while  it 
was  quite  hidden  in  the  rush.  But  each  bird,  grabbing  its 
part  with  bill  and  claws,  spread  its  wings  and  mounted  to 
some  quiet  place  to  eat.  The  sexton  seemed  to  think 
that  he  too  was  ‘ making  merit  ’ by  cutting  off  parts  of  the 
body  and  throwing  them  to  the  hungry  dogs,  as  the  dying 
man  had  done  in  bequeathing  his  body  to  those  carrion- 
feeders.  The  birds,  not  satisfied  with  what  they  got  from 
the  altar,  came  down  and  quarrelled  with  the  curs  for 
their  share. 

“ While  this  was  going  on,  the  mourners  stood  waiting, 
with  wax  candles  and  incense  sticks,  to  pay  their  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  the  deceased  by  assisting  in  the  burn- 
ing of  the  bones  after  the  vultures  and  dogs  had  stripped 
them.  The  sexton,  with  the  assistance  of  another,  gath- 
ered up  the  skeleton  and  put  it  back  into  the  coffin,  which 
was  lifted  by  four  men  and  carried  around  the  funeral 
pile  three  times.  It  was  then  laid  on  tire  pile  of  wood, 
and  a few  sticks  were  put  into  the  coffin  to  aid  in  burn- 
ing the  bones.  Then  a lighted  torch  was  applied  to  the 
pile,  and  the  relatives  and  other  mourners  advanced,  and 


216 


CREMATION. 


laid  each  a wax  candle  by  the  torch.  Others  brought  in- 
cense and  cast  it  on  the  pile. 

“ The  vultures,  having  had  but  a scanty  breakfast,  lin- 
gered around  the  place  until  the  fire  had  left  nothing  more 
for  them,  when  they  shook  their  ugly  heads,  and  hopping 
a few  steps,  to  get  up  a momentum,  flapped  their  harpy 
wings  and  flew  away.” 


XXIV. 


CERTAIN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Y friend  Malia  Mongkut  used  to  maintain,  with  the 


doctors  and  sophists  of  his  sect,  that  the  Buddhist 
priesthood  have  no  superstitions  ; that  though  they  do 
not  accept  the  Christian’s  “ Providence,”  they  do  believe 
in  a Creator  (. P'hra-Tham ),  at  whose  will  all  crude  mat- 
ter sprang  into  existence,  hut  who  exercises  no  further 
control  over  it ; that  man  is  but  one  of  the  endless  muta- 
tions of  matter,  — was  not  created,  but  has  existed  from  the 
beginning,  and  will  continue  to  exist  to  all  eternity  ; that 
though  he  was  not  born  in  sin,  he  is  held  by  the  second- 
ary law  of  retribution  accountable  for  offences  committed 
in  his  person,  and  these  he  must  expiate  through  subse- 
quent transmigrations,  until,  by  sublimation,  he  is  ab- 
sorbed again  into  the  primal  source  of  his  being ; and 
that  mutability  is  an  essential  and  absolute  law  of  the 
universe. 

In  like  manner  they  protest  that  they  are  not  idolaters, 
any  more  than  the  Roman  Catholics  are  pagans  ; that 
the  image  of  Buddha,  their  Teacher  and  High-Priest,  is  to 
them  what  the  crucifix  is  to  the  Jesuit;  neither  more  nor 
less.  They  scout  the  idea  that  they  worship  the  white 
elephant,  but  acknowledge  that  they  hold  the  beast 
sacred,  as  one  of  the  incarnations  of  their  great  re- 
former. 

Nevertheless,  no  nation  or  tribe  of  all  the  human  race 
has  ever  been  more  profoundly  inoculated  with  a su- 


10 


218 


CERTAIN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


perstition  the  most  depraving  and  malignant  than  the 
Siamese.  They  have  peopled  their  spiritual  world  with 
grotesques,  conceived  in  hallucination  and  brought  forth 
in  nightmare,  the  monstrous  devices  of  mischief  on  the 
one  hand  and  misery  on  the  other,  — gods,  demons,  genii, 
goblins,  wraiths ; and  to  flatter  or  propitiate  these,  es- 
pecially to  enlist  their  tutelary  offices,  they  commit  or 
connive  at  crimes  of  fantastic  enormity. 

While  residing  within  the  walls  of  Bangkok,  I learned 
of  the  existence  of  a custom  having  all  the  stability  and 
force  of  a Medo-Persic  law.  Whenever  a command  has 
gone  forth  from  the  throne  for  the  erection  of  a new  fort 
or  a new  gate,  or  the  reconstruction  of  an  old  one,  this 
ancient  custom  demands,  as  the  first  step  in  the  proce- 
dure, that  three  innocent  men  shall  be  immolated  on  the 
site  selected  by  the  court  astrologers,  and  at  their  “ aus- 
picious ” hour. 

In  1865,  his  Majesty  and  the  French  Consul  at  Bang- 
kok had  a grave  misunderstanding  about  a proposed 
modification  of  a treaty  relating  to  Cambodia.  The  con- 
sul demanded  the  removal  of  the  prime  minister  from  the 
commission  appointed  to  arrange  the  terms  of  this  treaty. 
The  king  replied  that  it  was  beyond  his  power  to  remove 
the  Kralahome.  Afterward,  the  consul,  always  irritable 
and  insolent,  having  nursed  his  wrath  to  keep  it  warm, 
waylaid  the  king  as  he  was  returning  from  a temple,  and 
threatened  him  with  war,  and  what  not,  if  he  did  not  ac- 
cede to  his  demands.  Whereupon,  the  poor  king,  effec- 
tually intimidated,  took  refuge  in  his  palace  behind  barred 
gates ; and  forthwith  sent  messengers  to  his  astrologers, 
magicians,  and  soothsayers,  to  inquire  what  the  situation 
prognosticated. 

The  magi  and  the  augurs,  and  all  the  seventh  sons  of 
seventh  sons,  having  shrewedly  pumped  the  officers,  and 
made  a solemn  show  of  consulting  their  oracles,  replied  : 


CERTAIN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


219 


“ The  times  are  full  of  omen.  Danger  approaches  from 
afar.  Let  his  Majesty  erect  a third  gate,  on  the  east  and 
on  the  west.” 

Next  morning,  betimes,  pick  and  spade  were  busy,  dig- 
ging deep  trenches  outside  the  pair  of  gates  that,  on  the 
east  and  west  alike,  already  protected  the  palace. 

Meanwhile,  the  consul  either  quite  forgot  his  threats, 
or  cooled  in  the  cuddling  of  them  ; yet  day  and  night  the 
king’s  people  plied  pick  and  spade  and  basket  in  the  new 
foundations.  When  all  was  ready,  the  San  Luang,  or 
secret  council  of  Royal  Judges,  met  at  midnight  in  the 
palace,  and  despatched  twelve  officers  to  lurk  around  the 
new  gates  until  dawn.  Two,  stationed  just  within  the 
entrance,  assume  the  character  of  neighbors  and  friends, 
calling  loudly  to  this  or  that  passenger,  and  continually 
repeating  familiar  names.  The  peasants  and  market  folk, 
who  are  always  passing  at  that  hour,  hearing  these  calls, 
stop,  and  turn  to  see  who  is  wanted.  Instantly  the  myr- 
midons of  the  san  luang  rush  from  their  hiding-places, 
and  arrest,  hap-hazard,  six  of  them  — three  for  each  gate. 
From  that  moment  the  doom  of  these  astonished,  trem- 
bling wretches  is  sealed.  No  petitions,  payments,  prayers, 
can  save  them. 

In  the  centre  of  the  gateway  a deep  fosse  or  ditch  is 
dug,  and  over  it  is  suspended  by  two  cords  an  enormous 
beam.  On  the  “ auspicious  ” day  for  the  sacrifice,  the  in- 
nocent, unresisting  victims  — “ hinds  and  churls  ” per- 
haps, of  the  lowest  degree  in  Bangkok  — are  mocked  with 
a dainty  and  elaborate  banquet,  and  then  conducted  in 
state  to  their  fatal  post  of  honor.  The  king  and  all  the 
court  make  profound  obeisance  before  them,  his  Majesty 
adjuring  them  earnestly  “ to  guard  with  devotion  the 
gate,  now  about  to  be  intrusted  to  their  keeping,  from  all 
dangers  and  calamities ; and  to  come  in  season  to  fore- 
warn him,  if  either  traitors  within  or  enemies  without 


220 


CERTAIN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


should  conspire  against  the  peace  of  his  people  or  the 
safety  of  his  throne.”  Even  as  the  last  word  of  this  ex- 
hortation falls  from  the  royal  lips,  the  cords  are  cut,  the 
ponderous  engine  crushes  the  heads  of  the  distin- 
guished wretches,  and  three  Bangkok  ragamuffins  are 
metempsychosed  into  three  guardian-angels  ( Thevedah ). 

Siamese  citizens  of  wealth  and  influence  often  bury 
treasure  in  the  earth,  to  save  it  from  arbitrary  confiscation. 
In  such  cases  a slave  is  generally  immolated  on  the  spot, 
to  make  a guardian  genius.  Among  certain  classes,  not 
always  the  lowest,  we  find  a greedy  passion  that  expends 
itself  in  indefatigable  digging  for  such  precious  cadis. s, 
in  the  environs  of  abandoned  temples,  or  among  the  ruins 
of  the  ancient  capital,  Ayudia.  These  treasure-seekers 
first  pass  a night  near  the  supposed  place  of  concealment, 
having  offered  at  sunset  to  the  genius  of  the  spot  obla- 
tions of  candles,  perfumed  tapers,  and  roasted  rice.  They 
then  betake  themselves  to  slumber  ; and  in  their  dreams 
the  genie  is  expected  to  appear,  and  indicate  precisely 
the  hiding-place  of  his  golden  charge,  at  the  same  time 
offering  to  wink  at  its  sacking  in  consideration  of  the  reg- 
ular perquisite,  — " one  pig’s  head  and  two  bottles  of  ar- 
rack.” On  the  other  hand,  the  genie  may  appear  in  an 
angry  aspect,  flourishing  the  conventional  club  in  a style 
that  means  business,  and  demanding  by  what  right  the 
intruders  would  tamper  with  his  charge  ; whereat  sudden 
waking  and  dishevelled  flight. 

Another  and  more  barbarous  superstition  relates  to 
premature  delivery.  In  such  a case  the  embarrassed 
mother  calls  in  a female  magician,  who  declares  that  an 
evil  spirit  has  practised  a spiteful  joke  upon  the  married 
pair,  with  a design  upon  the  life  of  the  mother.  So  say- 
ing, she  pops  the  still-born  into  an  earthen  pot,  and  with 
that  in  her  left  hand  and  a sword  in  her  right,  makes  for 
the  margin  of  a deep  stream,  where,  with  an  approved 


CERTAIN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


221 


imprecation  upon  the  fiend  and  a savage  slash  at  the 
manikin,  she  tosses  the  pot  and  its  untimely  contents 
into  the  flood. 

By  such  witches  as  this,  sorceries  of  all  kinds  are  prac- 
tised for  fee.  They  are  likewise  supposed  to  be  skilled 
in  the  art  of  healing,  and  are  notable  compounders  of 
love-philters  and  potions. 

The  king  supports  a certain  number  of  astrologers, 
whose  duties  consist  in  the  prediction  of  events,  whether 
great  or  small,  from  war  or  peace  to  rain  or  drought,  and 
in  indicating  or  determining  future  possibilities  by  the 
aspect  and  position  of  the  stars.  The  people  universally 
wear  charms  and  talismans,  to  which  they  ascribe  super- 
natural virtues.  A patient  in  fever  with  delirium  is  said 
to  be  possessed  of  a devil;  and  should  he  grow  frantic 
and  unmanageable  in  the  paroxysms,  the  one  becomes  a 
legion.  At  the  close  of  each  year,  a thread  of  unspun 
cotton,  of  seven  fibres,  consecrated  by  priests,  is  reeled 
round  all  the  walls  of  the  palace ; and  from  sunset  until 
dawn  a continuous  cannonading  is  kept  up  from  all  the 
forts  within  hearing,  to  rout  the  evil  spirits  that  have 
infested  the  departing  year. 


XXV. 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 

A SECOND  or  subordinate  kingship  is  an  anomalous 
device  or  provision  of  sovereignty  peculiar  to  Siam. 
Cambodia,  and  Laos.  Inferior  in  station  to  the  Supreme 
King  only,  and  apparently  deriving  from  the  throne  of  the 
Phra-batts,  to  which  he  may  approach  so  near,  a reflected 
majesty  and  prestige  not  clearly  understood  by  his  sub- 
jects nor  easily  defined  by  foreigners,  the  Second  King 
seems  to  be,  nevertheless,  belittled  by  the  very  signifi- 
cance of  the  one  exclusive  privilege  that  should  distin- 
guish him,  — that  of  exemption  from  the  customary  pros- 
trations before  the  First  King,  whom  he  may  salute  by 
simply  raising  his  hands  and  joining  them  above  his  head. 
Here  his  proper  right  of  royalty  begins  and  ends.  The 
part  that  he  may  play  in  the  drama  of  government  is  cast 
to  him  in  the  necessity,  discretion,  or  caprice  of  his  abso- 
lute chief  next,  and  yet  so  far,  above  him ; it  may  be 
important,  insignificant,  or  wholly  omitted.  Like  any 
lesser  ducus  of  the  realm,  lie  must  appear  before  his  lord 
twice  a year  to  renew  his  oath  of  allegiance.  In  law,  he 
is  as  mere  a subject  as  the  slave  who  bears  his  betel-box  ; 
or  that  other  slave  who,  on  his  knees,  and  with  averted 
face,  presents  his  spittoon.  In  history,  he  shall  be  what 
circumstance  or  his  own  mind  may  make  him  : the  shadow 
or  the  soul  of  sovereignty,  even  as  the  intellectual  and 
moral  weakness  or  strength  may  have  been  apportioned 
between  him  and  his  colleague.  From  his  rank  he  derives 
no  advantage  but  the  chance. 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


223 


Sonuletch  P’hra  Pawarendr  Pamesr  Maliiswarer,  the 
subordinate  king  of  Siam,  who  died  on  the  29th  of  De- 
cember, 1865,  was  the  legitimate  son  of  the  supreme  king, 
second  of  his  dynasty,  who  reigned  from  18U9  to  1824. 
His  father  had  been  second  king  to  his  grandfather,  “grand 
supreme”  of  Siam,  and  first  of  the  reigning  line.  His 
mother  was  “ lawful  first  queen  consort  ” ; and  the  late 
first  or  major  king,  Somdetcli-P’hra  Paramendr  Malia 
Mongkut,  was  his  elder  full  brother.  Being  alike  legiti- 
mate offspring  of  the  first  queen,  these  two  lads  were 
styled  Somdctch  Chowfas,  “ Celestial  Royal  Princes  ” ; and 
during  the  second  and  third  reigns  they  were  distinguished 
by  the  titles  of  courtesy  pertaining  to  their  royal  status 
and  relation,  the  elder  as  Chowfa  Mongkut,  the  younger 
as  Chowfa  Chudha-Mani : Mongkut  signifying  “ Royal 
Crown,”  and  Chudha-Mani  “ Royal  Hair-pin.” 

On  the  death  of  their  father  (in  1824),  and  the  acces- 
sion, by  intrigue,  of  their  elder  half-brother,  the  Chowfa 
Mongkut  entered  the  Buddhist  priesthood ; but  his  broth- 
er, more  ardent,  inquisitive,  and  restless,  took  active 
service  with  the  king,  in  the  military  as  well  as  in  the 
diplomatic  department  of  government.  He  was  appointed 
Superintendent  of  Artillery  and  Malayan  Infantry  on  the 
one  hand ; and  on  the  other,  Translator  of  English  Docu- 
ments and  Secretary  for  English  Correspondence. 

In  a cautious  and  verbose  sketch  of  his  character  and 
services,  written  after  his  death  by  his  jealous  brother, 
the  priest-king,  wherein  he  is  by  turns  meanly  disparaged 
and  damned  with  faint  praise,  we  find  tliis  curious  state- 
ment : — 

“ After  that  time  (1821)  he  became  acquainted  with 
certain  parties  of  English  and  East  Indian  merchants, 
who  made  their  appearance  or  first  commenced  trading 
on  late  of  second  reign,  after  the  former  trade  with  Siam 
which  had  been  stopped  or  postponed  several  years  in 


224 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


consequence  of  some  misunderstanding  before.  He  be- 
came acquainted  with  certain  parts  of  English  language 
and  literature,  and  certain  parts  of  Hindoo  or  Bengali 
language,  as  sufficient  for  some  unimportant  conversation 
with  English  and  Indian  strangers  who  were  visitors  of 
Siam,  upon  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  his  royal  father ; 
but  his  royal  father  did  not  know  that  lie  possessed  such 
knowledge  of  foreign  language,  which  had  been  con- 
cealed to  the  native  persons  in  republic  affairs,  whose 
jealousy  seemed  to  be  strong  against  strangers,  so  he 
was  not  employed  in  any  terms  with  those  strangers 
foreign  affairs,”  — that  is,  during  the  life  of  his  father,  at 
whose  death  he  was  just  sixteen  years  old. 

Early  in  the  third  reign  he  was  sent  to  Meeklong  to 
superintend  the  construction  of  important  works  of  de- 
fence near  the  mouth  of  the  Meeklong  River.  He  pushed 
this  work  with  vigor,  and  completed  it  in  1835.  In  1842 
he  commanded  successfully  an  expedition  against  the 
Cochin-Chinese,  and,  in  returning,  brought  with  him  to 
Siam  many  families  of  refugees  from  the  eastern  coast. 
Then  he  was  commissioned  by  the  king  to  reconstruct, 
“ after  Western  models,”  the  ancient  fortifications  at  Pak- 
nam  ; and  having  to  this  end  engaged  a corps  of  Eu- 
ropean engineers  and  artisans,  he  eagerly  seized  the  ad- 
vantage the  situation  afforded  him,  by  free  and  intelligent 
intercourse  with  his  foreign  assistants,  to  master  the  Eng- 
lish language,  — so  that,  at  his  death,  he  notably  excelled 
the  first  king  in  the  facility  with  which  he  spoke,  read, 
and  wrote  it, — and  to  improve  his  acquaintance  with  the 
Western  sciences  and  arts  of  navigation,  naval  construc- 
tion and  armament,  coast  and  inland  defence,  engineering, 
transportation,  and  telegraphy,  the  working  and  casting 
of  iron,  etc. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1851,  twelve  days  after  the  coro- 
nation of  his  elder  brother,  the  student  and  priest  Maha 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


225 


Mongkut,  he  was  called  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  “ the 
king  and  council  ” to  be  Second  King ; and  throughout 
his  subordinate  reign  his  sagacious  and  alert  inquiry,  his 
quick  apprehension,  his  energetic  and  liberal  spirit  of  im- 
provement, engaged  the  admiration  of  foreigners ; whilst 
his  handsome  person,  his  generous  temper,  his  gallant 
preference  for  the  skilful  and  the  brave,  his  enthusiasm 
and  princely  profusion  in  sports  and  shows,  endeared  him 
more  and  more  to  his  people.  Maha  Mongkut  — at  no 
time  inclined  to  praise  him  beyond  his  deserts,  and  least 
of  all  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  imbittered  to  both  by 
mutual  jealousy  and  distrust  — wrote  almost  handsomely  ► 
of  him  under  the  pressure  of  this  public  opinion. 

“ He  made  everything  new  and  beautiful,  and  of  curi- 
ous appearance,  and  of  a good  style  of  architecture,  and 
much  stronger  than  they  had  formerly  been  constructed 
by  his  three  predecessors,  the  second  kings  of  the  last 
three  reigns,  for  the  space  of  time  that  he  was  second 
king.  He  had  introduced  and  collected  many  and  many 
things,  being  articles  of  great  curiosity,  and  things  useful 
for  various  purposes  of  military  acts  and  affairs,  from 
Europe  and  America,  China,  and  other  states,  and  placed 
them  in  various  departments  and  rooms  or  buildings  suit- 
able for  those  articles,  and  placed  officers  for  maintaining 
and  ] reserving  the  various  things  neatly  and  carefully. 

He  lias  constructed  several  buildings  in  European  fashion 
and  Chinese  fashion,  and  ornamented  them  with  various 
useful  ornaments  for  his  pleasure,  and  has  constructed 
two  steamers  in  manner  of  men -of- war,  and  two  steam- 
yachts,  and  several  rowing  state-boats  in  Siamese  and 
Cochin-Chinese  fashion,  for  his  pleasure  at  sea  and  rivers 
of  Siam ; and  caused  several  articles  of  gold  and  silver 
being  vessels  and  various  wares  and  weapons  to  be  madp 
up  by  the  Siamese  and  Malayan  goldsmiths,  for  employ 
and  dress  of  himself  and  his  family,  by  his  direction  and 
10*  o 


226 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


skilful  contrivance  and  ability.  He  became  celebrated 
and  spread  out  more  and  more  to  various  regions  of  the 
Siamese  kingdom,  adjacent  States  around,  and  far-famed 
to  foreign  countries,  even  at  far  distance,  as  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  many  and  many  foreigners,  who  came  from 
various  quarters  of  the  world  where  his  name  became 
known  to  most  as  a very  clever  and  bravest  Prince  of 
Siam.  .... 

“ As  he  pleased  mostly  with  firing  of  cannon  and  acts  of 
Marine  power  and  seamen,  which  he  has  imitated  to  his 
steamers  which  were  made  in  manner  of  the  man-of-war. 
after  he  has  seen  various  things  curious  and  useful,  and 
learned  Marine  customs  on  board  the  foreign  vessels  of 
war,  his  steamers  conveyed  him  to  sea,  where  he  has  en- 
joyed playing  of  firing  in  cannon  very  often 

“ He  pleased  very  much  in  and  was  playful  of  almost 
everything,  some  important  and  some  unimportant,  as 
riding  on  Elephants  and  Horses  and  Ponies,  racing  of 
them  and  racing  of  rowing  boats,  firing  on  birds  and 
beasts  of  prey,  dancing  and  singing  in  various  ways  pleas- 
antly, and  various  curiosity  of  almost  everything,  and 
music  of  every  description,  and  in  taming  of  dogs,  mon- 
keys, &c.,  &c.,  that  is  to  say  briefly  that  he  has  tested 
almost  everything  eatable  except  entirely  testing  of  Opium 
and  play. 

“ Also  he  has  visited  regions  of  Northeastern  Province 
of  Sarapury  and  Gorath  very  often  for  enjoyment  of 
pleasant  riding  on  Elephants  and  Horses,  at  forests  in 
chasing  animals  of  prey,  fowling,  and  playing  music  and 
singing  with  Laos  people  of  that  region  and  obtaining 
young  wives  from  there.” 

What  follows  is  not  more  curious  as  to  its  form  of  ex- 
pression than  suspicious  as  to  its  meaning  and  motive. 
To  all  who  know  with  what  pusillanimity  at  times  the 
First  King  shrank  from  the  approach  of  Christian  foreign- 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


227 


ers,  — especially  the  French  priests,  — with  what  servility 
in  his  moody  way  he  courted  their  favor,  it  will  appear 
of  very  doubtful  sincerity.  To  those  who  are  familiar 
with  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was  written,  and 
to  whom  the  attitude  of  jealous  reserve  that  the  brothers 
occupied  toward  each  other  at  the  time  of  the  Second 
King’s  death  was  no  secret,  it  may  seem  (even  after  due 
allowance  is  made  for  the  prejudices  or  the  obligations  of 
the  priest)  to  cover  an  insidious,  though  scarcely  adroit, 
design  to  undermine  the  honorable  reputation  the  younger 
enjoyed  among  the  missionaries,  and  the  cordial  friend- 
ship with  which  he  had  been  regarded  by  several  of  the 
purest  of  them.  Certainly  it  is  suspiciously  “ of  a piece  ” 
with  other  passages,  quoted  further  on,  in  which  the 
king’s  purpose  to  disparage  the  merits  of  his  brother,  and 
damage  the  influence  of  his  name  abroad,  is  sufficiently 
transparent.  In  this  connection  the  reader  may  derive 
a ray  of  light  from  the  fact  that  on  the  birth  of  the  Sec- 
ond King’s  first  son,  an  American  missionary,  who  was 
on  terms  of  intimacy  with  the  father,  named  the  child 
“ George  Washington  ” ; and  that  child,  the  Prince  George 
Washington  Krom  Mu’n  Pawarwijagan,  is  the  present 
Second  King  of  Siam.  But  to  Maha  Mongkut,  and  his 
“ art  of  putting  things  ” : — 

“ He  was  rumored  to  be  baptized  or  near  to  be  bap- 
tized in  Christianity,  but  the  fact  it  is  false.  He  was  a 
Buddhist,  but  his  faith  and  belief  changed  very  often  in 
favor  of  various  sects  of  Buddhism  by  the  association  of 
his  wives  and  various  families  and  of  persons  who  were 
believers  in  various  sects  of  the  established  religion  of  the 
Siamese  and  Laos,  Peguan  and  Burmese  countries.  Why 
should  he  become  a Christian  ? when  his  pleasures  con- 
sisted in  polygamy  and  enjoyment,  and  with  young 
women  who  were  practised  in  pleasant  dancing  and  sing- 
ing, and  who  could  not  be  easily  given  up  at  any  time. 


228 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


He  was  very  desirous  of  having  his  sons  to  he  English 
scholars  and  to  be  learned  the  art  of  speaking,  reading 
and  writing  in  English  well  like  himself,  but  he  said  he 
cannot  allow  his  sons  to  enter  the  Christian  Missionary- 
School,  as  he  feared  his  descendants  might  be  induced  to 
the  Christianity  in  which  he  did  not  please  to  believe.” 

Pawarendr  Eamesr  had  ever  been  the  favorite  and  dar- 
ling of  his  mother,  and  it  was  in  his  infancy  that  the 
seeds  of  that  ignoble  jealousy  were  sown  between  the 
royal  brothei  s,  which  flourished  so  rankly  and  bore  such 
noxious  fruit  in  their  manhood.  From  his  tenderest 
years  the  younger  prince  was  remarkable  for  his  personal 
beauty  and  his  bright  intelligence,  and  before  his  thir- 
teenth birthday  had  already  learned  all  that  his  several 
masters  could  teach  him.  From  an  old  priest,  named 
P’lira  Naitt,  I gathered  many  pleasant  anecdotes  of  his 
childhood. 

For  example,  he  related  with  peculiar  pride  how  the 
young  prince,  then  but  twelve  years  old,  being  borne  one 
day  in  state  through  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city  to  visit 
his  mother’s  lotos-gardens,  observed  an  old  man,  half 
blind,  resting  by  the  roadside.  Commanding  his  bearers 
to  halt,  he  alighted  from  his  sedan  and  kindly  accosted 
the  poor  creature.  Finding  him  destitute  and  helpless,  a 
stranger  and  a wayfarer  in  the  land,  he  caused  him  to  be 
seated  in  his  own  sedan,  and  borne  to  the  gardens,  while 
he  followed  on  foot.  Here  he  had  the  old  man  bathed, 
clad  in  fresh  linen,  and  entertained  with  a substantial 
meal ; and  afterward  he  took  his  astonished  client  into 
his  service,  as  keeper  of  his  cattle. 

Later  in  life  the  generous  and  romantic  prince  diverted 
himself  with  the  adventurous  beneficence  of  Haroun  al 
Paschid,  visiting  the  poor  in  disguise,  listening  to  the 
recital  of  their  sufferings  and  wrongs,  and  relieving  them 
with  ready  largesse  of  charity  and  justice ; and  nothing 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


229 


so  pleased  and  flattered  him  as  to  be  called,  in  his  as- 
sumed name  of  Nak  Pratt,  “ the  wise,”  to  take  part  in 
their  sports  and  fetes.  The  affectionate  enthusiasm  with 
which  the  venerable  poonghee  remembered  his  royal  pupil 
was  inspiring ; and  to  see  his  eyes  sparkle  and  his  face 
glow  with  sympathetic  triumph,  as  he  described  the  lad’s 
exploits  of  strength  or  skill  in  riding,  fencing,  boxing, 
was  a fine  sight.  But  it  was  with  saddened  look  and 
tone  that  he  whispered  to  me,  that,  at  the  prince’s  birth, 
the  astrologer  who  cast  his  horoscope  had  foretold  for  him 
an  unnatural  death.  This,  he  said,  was  the  secret  of  the 
watchful  devotion  and  imprudent  partiality  his  mother 
had  always  manifested  for  him. 

For  such  a prince  to  come  into  even  the  empty  name 
of  power  was  to  become  subject  to  the  evil  eye  of  his 
fraternal  lord  and  rival,  for  whose  favor  officious  friends 
and  superserviceable  lackeys  contended  in  scandalous  and 
treacherous  spyings  of  the  Second  King’s  every  action. 
Yet,  meanly  beset  as  he  was,  he  contrived  to  find  means 
and  opportunity  to  enlarge  his  understanding  and  multi- 
ply his  attainments  ; and  in  the  end  his  proficiency  in 
languages,  European  and  Oriental,  became  as  remarkable 
as  it  was  laudable.  It  was  by  Mr.  Hunter,  secretary  to 
the  prime  minister,  that  he  was  introduced  to  the  study 
of  the  English  language  and  literature,  and  by  this  gen- 
tleman’s intelligent  aid  he  procured  the  text-books  which 
constituted  the  foundation  of  his  educational  course. 

In  person  he  was  handsome,  for  a Siamese  ; of  medium 
stature,  compact  and  symmetrical  figure,  and  rather  dark 
complexion.  His  conversation  and  deportment  denoted 
the  cultivation,  delicacy,  and  graceful  poise  of  an  accom- 
plished gentleman  ; and  he  delivered  his  English  with  a 
correctness  and  fluency  very  noticeably  free  from  the 
peculiar  spasmodic  effort  that  marked  his  royal  brother’s 
exploits  in  the  language  of  Shakespeare. 


230 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


In  his  palace,  which  he  had  rebuilt  after  the  model 
of  an  English  nobleman’s  residence,  he  led  the  life 
of  a healthy,  practical,  and  systematic  student.  His  li- 
brary, more  judiciously  selected  than  that  of  his  brother, 
abounded  in  works  of  science,  embracing  the  latest  dis- 
coveries. Here  he  passed  many  hours,  cultivating  a 
sound  acquaintance  with  the  results  of  investigation  and 
experiment  in  the  Western  world.  His  partiality  for 
English  literature  in  all  its  branches  was  extreme.  The 
freshest  publications  of  London  found  their  way  to  his 
tables,  and  he  heartily  enjoyed  the  creations  of  Dickens. 

For  robust  and  exhilarating  enjoyment,  however,  he  had 
recourse  to  hunting  expeditions,  and  martial  exercises  in 
the  drilling  of  his  private  troops.  Punctually  at  day- 
break every  morning  he  appeared  on  the  parade-ground, 
and  proceeded  to  review  his  little  army  with  scrupulous 
precision,  according  to  European  tactics ; after  which  he 
led  his  well-trained  files  to  their  barracks  within  the 
palace  walls,  where  the  soldiers  exchanged  their  uniform 
for  a working-dress.  Then  he  marched  them  to  the 
armory,  where  muskets,  bayonets,  and  sabres  were  brought 
out  and  severely  scoured.  That  done,  the  men  were  dis- 
missed till  the  morrow. 

Among  his  courtiers  were  several  gentlemen  of  Siam 
and  Laos,  who  had  acquired  such  a smattering  of  English 
as  qualified  them  to  assist  the  prince  in  his  scientific  di- 
versions. Opposite  the  armory  stood  a pretty  little  cot- 
tage, quite  English-looking,  lighted  with  glass  windows, 
and  equipped  with  European  furniture.  Over  the  en- 
trance to  this  quaint  tenement  hung  a painted  sign,  in 
triumphant  English,  “ Watches  and  Clocks  Made  and 
Bep  aired  Here  ” ; and  hither  came  frequently  the  Second 
King  and  his  favorites,  to  pursue  assiduously  their  harm- 
less occupation  of  horloyerie.  Sometimes  this  eccentric 
entertainment  was  diversified  with  music,  in  which  his 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


231 


Majesty  took  a leading  part,  playing  with  taste  and  skill 
on  the  flute,  and  several  instruments  of  the  Laos  people. 

Such  a prince  should  have  been  happy,  in  the  inno- 
cence of  his  pastimes  and  the  dignity  of  his  pursuits. 
But  the  same  accident  of  birth  and  station  to  which  he 
owed  bis  privileges  and  his  opportunities  imposed  its  pe- 
culiar disabilities  and  hindrances.  His  troubles  were  the 
troubles  of  a second  king,  who  chanced  to  be  also  an 
ardent  and  aspiring  man.  Weary  with  disappointment, 
disheartened  in  his  honorable  longing  for  just  apprecia- 
tion, vexed  with  the  caprice  and  suspicions  of  his  elder 
brother ; oppressed  by  the  ever-present  tyranny  of  the 
thought  — so  hard  for  such  a man  to  bear  — that  the 
woman  he  loved  best  in  the  land  he  was  inexorably  for- 
bidden to  marry,  because,  being  a princess  of  the  first 
rank,  she  might  be  offered  and  accepted  to  grace  the 
harem  of  his  brother  ; a mere  prisoner  of  state,  watched 
by  the  baleful  eye  of  jealousy,  and  traduced  by  the  venal 
tongues  of  courtiers  ; dwelling  in  a torment  of  uncertain- 
ty as  to  the  fate  to  which  his  brother’s  explosive  temper 
and  irresponsible  power  might  devote  him,  hoping  for  no 
repose  or  safety  but  in  his  funeral-urn,  — he  began  to 
grow  hard  and  defiant,  and  that  which,  in  the  native  free- 
dom of  his  soul,  should  have  been  his  noble  steadfastness 
degenerated  into  ignoble  obstinacy. 

Among  the  innumerable  mean  torments  with  which  his 
pride  was  persecuted  was  the  continual  presence  of  a 
certain  doctor,  who,  by  the  king’s  command,  attended  him 
at  all  times  and  places,  compelling  him  to  use  remedies 
that  were  most  distasteful  to  him. 

He  was  gallantly  kind  and  courteous  toward  women  ; 
no  act  of  cruelty  to  any  woman  was  ever  attributed  to 
him.  His  children  he  ruled  wisely,  though  somewhat 
sternly,  rendering  his  occasional  tenderness  and  indul- 
gence so  much  the  more  precious  and  delightful  to  them. 


232 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


Never  had  Siam  a more  popular  prince.  He  was  the 
embodiment  of  the  most  hopeful  qualities,  moral  and  in- 
tellectual, of  his  nation ; especially  was  he  the  exponent 
and  promise  of  its  most  progressive  tendencies ; and  his 
people  regarded  him  with  love  and  reverence,  as  their 
trusty  stay  and  support.  His  talents  as  a statesman  com- 
manded the  unqualified  admiration  of  foreigners ; and  it 
was  simply  the  jealous  and  tyrannical  temper  of  Maha 
Mongkut  that  forced  him  to  retire  from  all  participation 
in  the  affairs  of  government. 

At  last  the  mutual  reserve  and  distrust  of  the  royal 
brothers  broke  out  in  open  quarrel,  provoked  by  the  re- 
fusal of  the  First  King  to  permit  the  Second  to  borrow 
from  the  royal  treasury  a considerable  sum  of  money.  On 
the  day  after  his  order  was  dishonored,  the  prince  set  out 
with  his  congenial  and  confidential  courtiers  on  a hunting 
expedition  to  the  Laos  province  of  Chiengmai,  scornfully 
threatening  to  entrap  one  of  the  royal  white  elephants, 
and  sell  it  to  his  Supreme  Majesty  for  the  sum  he  would 
not  loan. 

At  Chiengmai  he  was  regally  entertained  by  the  tribu- 
tary prince  of  that  province  ; and  no  sooner  was  his  griev- 
ance known,  than  the  money  he  required  was  laid  at  his 
feet.  Too  manly  to  accept  the  entire  sum,  he  borrowed 
but  a portion  of  it ; and  instead  of  taking  it  out  of  the 
country,  decided  to  sojourn  there  for  a time,  that  he  might 
spend  it  to  the  advantage  of  the  people.  To  this  end  he 
selected  a lovely  spot  in  the  vicinity  of  Chiengmai,  called 
Saraburee,  itself  a city  of  some  consideration,  where  bamboo 
houses  line  the  banks  of  a beautiful  river,  that  traverses 
teak  forests  alive  with  large  game.  On  an  elevation  near 
at  hand  the  Second  King  erected  a palace  substantially 
fortified,  which  he  named  Ban  Sitlia  (tire  Home  of  the 
Goddess  Sitlia),  and  caused  a canal  to  be  cut  to  the  east- 
ern slope. 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


233 


Here  lie  indulged  freely,  and  on  an  imposing  scale,  in 
his  favorite  pastime  of  hunting,  and  privately  took  to  wife 
the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Chiengmai,  the  Princess  Su- 
nartlia  Vismita.  And  here  he  was  happy,  only  returning 
to  Bangkok  when  called  thither  by  affairs  of  state,  or  to 
take  the  semi-annual  oath  of  allegiance. 

Among  the  prince’s  concubines  at  this  time  was  a 
woman  named  Kliep,  envious,  intriguing,  and  ambitious, 
who  by  consummate  arts  had  obtained  control  of  his  Maj- 
esty’s cuisine,  — an  appointment  of  peculiar  importance 
and  trust  in  the  household  of  an  Oriental  prince.  Find- 
ing that  by  no  feminine  devices  could  she  procure  the 
influence  she  coveted  over  her  master’s  mind  and  affec- 
tions, she  finally  bad  recourse  to  an  old  and  infamous  sor- 
cerer, styled  Khoon  Hate-nali  (“  Lord  of  Future  Events  ”), 
an  adept  of  the  black  art  much  consulted  by  women  of 
rank  from  all  parts  of  the  country ; and  he,  in  considera- 
tion of  an  extraordinary  fee,  prepared  for  her  a variety  of 
charms,  incantations,  philters,  to  be  administered  to  the 
prince,  in  whose  food  daily,  for  years,  she  mixed  the  abom- 
inable nostrums.  The  poison  did  its  work  slowly  but 
surely,  and  his  sturdy  life  was  gradually  undermined. 
His  strength  quite  gone,  and  his  spirit  broken,  his  despon- 
dency became  so  profound  that  he  lost  all  taste  for  the 
occupations  and  diversions  that  had  once  delighted  him, 
and  sought  relief  in  restless  changing  from  one  palace  to 
another,  and  in  consulting  every  physician  he  could  find. 

It  was  during  a visit  to  his  favorite  residence  at  Sara- 
buree  that  the  signs  of  approaching  dissolution  appeared, 
and  the  king’s  physician,  fearing  he  might  die  there,  took 
hurried  steps  to  remove  him  to  his  palace  at  Bangkok.  He 
was  bound  in  a sedan,  and  lowered  from  his  high  chamber 
in  the  castle  into  his  barge  on  the  canal  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliff ; and  so,  with  all  his  household  in  train,  transported 
to  the  palace  of  Krom  Hluang  Wongse,  physician  to  the 


234 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


king,  and  one  of  liis  half-brothers.  Now  miserably  un- 
nerved, the  prince,  once  so  patient,  brave,  and  proud, 
threw  his  arms  round  his  kinsman’s  neck,  and,  weeping 
bitterly,  implored  him  to  save  him.  But  he  was  presently 
removed  to  his  own  palace,  and  laid  in  a chamber  looking 
to  the  east. 

That  night  the  prince  expressed  a wish  to  see  his  royal 
brother.  The  king  hastened  to  his  bedside  in  company 
with  his  Excellency  Chow  Pliya  Sri  Sury-wongse,  the 
Kralahome,  or  prime  minister;  and  then  and  there  a 
silent  and  solemn  reconciliation  took  place.  No  words 
were  spoken  ; only  the  brothers  embraced  each  other,  and 
the  elder  wept  bitterly.  But  from  the  facts  brought  to 
light  in  that  impressive  meeting  and  parting,  it  was  made 
plain  that  the  Second  King  died  by  slow  poison,  adminis- 
tered by  the  woman  Kliep,  — plain  to  all  but  the  Second 
King  himself,  who  died  in  ignorance  of  the  means  by 
which  the  tragic  prophecy  of  his  horoscope  had  been 
made  good. 

In  the  very  full  account  of  his  brother’s  death  which 
Malm  Mongkut  thought  it  necessary  to  write,  he  was 
careful  to  conceal  from  the  public  the  true  cause  of  the 
calamity,  fearing  the  foreign  populace,  and,  most  of  all, 
the  Laotians  and  Peguans,  who  were  devoted  to  the  prince, 
and  might  attach  suspicion  to  himself,  on  the  ground 
of  his  notorious  jealousy  of  the  Second  King.  The 
royal  physicians  and  the  Supreme  Council  were  sworn  to 
secrecy ; and  the  woman  Kliep,  and  her  accomplice  Khoon 
Hate-nah,  together  with  nine  female  slaves,  were  tortured 
and  publicly  paraded  through  the  environs  of  Bangkok, 
though  their  crime  was  never  openly  named.  Afterward 
they  were  thrown  into  an  open  boat,  towed  out  on  the  Gulf 
of  Siam,  and  there  abandoned  to  the  mercy  of  winds  and 
waves,  or  death  by  starvation.  Among  the  women  of  the 
palace  the  current  report  was,  that  celestial  avengers  had 


THE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


235 


slain  the  murderous  crew  with  arrows  of  lightning  and 
spears  of  fire. 

In  his  Majesty’s  account  of  the  last  days  of  his  royal 
brother,  we  have  the  characteristic  queerness  of  his  Eng- 
lish, and  a scarcely  less  characteristic  passage  of  Peck- 
sniffian  cant : — 

“ The  lamentable  patient  Second  King  ascertained  him- 
self that  his  approaching  death  was  inevitable ; it  was 
great  misfortune  to  him  and  his  family  indeed.  His  eld- 
est son  Prince  George  * Ivrom  Mu’n  Pawarwijagan,  aged 
27  years  on  that  time,  became  very  sick  of  painful  rheu- 
matism by  which  he  has  his  body  almost  steady  on  his 
seat  and  bed,  immovable  to  and  fro,  himself,  since  the 
month  of  October,  1865,  when  his  father  was  absent  from 
Bangkok,  being  at  Ban  Sitha  ’ as  aforesaid.  When  his 
royal  father  returned  from  Ban  Sitha  he  arrived  at  his 
palace  at  Bangkok  on  6th  December.  He  can  only  being 
lifted  by  twTo  or  three  men  and  placed  in  the  presence  of 
his  father  who  was  very  ill,  but  the  eldest  son  forenamed 
prince  was  little  better,  so  before  death  of  his  father  as  lie 
can  be  raised  to  be  stood  by  two  men  and  can  cribble 
slowly  on  even  or  level  surface,  by  securing  and  support- 
ing of  two  men  on  both  sides. 

“ When  his  father  became  worse  and  approaching  the 
point  of  death,  upon  that  time  his  father  can  see  him 
scarcely  ; wherefore  the  Second  King,  on  his  being  worse, 
has  said  to  his  eldest  and  second  daughters,  the  half  sis- 
ters of  the  eldest  son,  distempered  so  as  lie  cannot  be  in 
the  presence  of  his  father  without  difficulty,  that  he  (the 
Second  King)  forenamed  on  that  time  was  hopeless  and 
that  he  could  not  live  more  than  a few  days.  He  did  not 
wish  to  do  his  last  will  regarding  his  family  and  property, 
particularly  as  he  was  strengthless  to  speak  much,  and 
consider  anything  deeply  and  accurately : he  beg’d  to 

* George  Washington. 


236 


TIIE  SUBORDINATE  KING. 


entreat  all  liis  sons,  daughters,  and  wives  that  none 
should  be  sorry  for  his  death,  which  comes  by  natural 
course,  and  should  not  fear  for  misery  of  difficulty  after 
his  demise.  All  should  throw  themselves  under  their 
faithful  and  affectionate  uncle,  the  Supreme  King  of  Siam, 
for  protection,  in  whom  he  had  heartfelt  confidence  that 
he  will  do  well  to  his  family  after  his  death,  as  such 
the  action  or  good  protection  to  several  families  of  other 
princes  and  princesses  in  the  royalty,  who  deceased  be- 
fore. He  beg’d  only  to  recommend  his  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, that  they  should  be  always  honest  and  faithful  to  his 
elder  full  brother,  the  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  by  the  same 
affection  as  to  himself,  and  that  they  should  have  much 
more  affection  and  respect  toward  Paternal  relative  persons 
in  royalty,  than  toward  their  maternal  relative  persons, 

who  are  not  royal  descendants  of  his  ancestors 

“ On  the  29th  December  1865,  in  the  afternoon,  the 
Second  King  invited  His  Majesty  the  Supreme  King,  his 
elder  full  brother,  and  his  Excellency  Chow  Phya  Sri 
Sury-wongse  Samuha  P’hra-Kralahome,  the  Prime  Minis- 
ter, who  is  the  principal  head  of  the  Government  and 
royal  cousin,  to  seat  themselves  near  to  his  side  on  his 
bedstead  where  he  lay,  and  other  principals  of  royalty 
and  nobility,  to  seat  themselves  in  that  room  where  he 
was  lying,  that  they  might  be  able  to  ascertain  his  speech 
by  hearing.  Then  he  delivered  his  family  and  followers 
and  the  whole  of  his  property  to  His  Majesty  and  His 
Excellency  for  protection  and  good  decision,  according  to 
consequences  which  they  would  well  observe.” 

Not  a word  of  that  royal  reconcilement,  of  that  re- 
morseful passion  of  tears,  of  that  mute  mystery  of  human- 
ity, the  secret  spell  of  a burdened  mother’s  love  working 
too  late  in  the  hearts  of  her  headstrong  boys ! Not  a 
word  of  that  crowning  embrace,  which  made  the  subordi- 
nate king  supreme,  by  the  grace  of  dying  and  forgiving ! 


XXVI. 


THE  SUPREME  KIXG:  HIS  CHARACTER  AXD 
ADMINISTRATION. 

OF  Somdetch  P’hra  Paramendr  Maha  Mongkut,  late 
Supreme  King  of  Siam,  it  may  safely  be  said  (for  all 
his  capricious  provocations  of  temper  and  his  snappish 
greed  of  power)  that  he  was,  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
epithet,  the  most  remarkable  of  the  Oriental  princes  of 
the  present  century,  — unquestionably  the  most  progres- 
sive of  all  the  supreme  rulers  of  Siam,  of  whom  the  na- 
tive historians  enumerate  not  less  than  forty,  reckoning 
from  the  founding  of  the  ancient  capital  (Ayudia  or 
A-yodhya,  “ the  abode  of  gods  ”)  in  A.  D.  1350. 

He  was  the  legitimate  son  of  the  king  P’lira  Chow-P’hra 
rooti-lootlah,  commonly  known  as  P’hen-dm-Klang ; and 
his  mother,  daughter  of  the  youngest  sister  of  the  King 
Somdetch  P’hra  Bouromah  Rajah  P’hra  Pooti  Yout  Fah, 
was  one  of  the  most  admired  princesses  of  her  time,  and 
is  described  as  equally  beautiful  and  virtuous.  She  de- 
voted herself  assiduously  to  the  education  of  her  sons,  of 
whom  the  second,  the  subject  of  these  notes,  was  born  in 
1804 ; and  the  youngest,  her  best  beloved,  was  the  late 
Second  King  of  Siam. 

One  of  the  first  public  acts  of  the  King  P’hra  Pooti- 
lootlah  was  to  elevate  to  the  highest  honors  of  the  state 
his  eldest  son  (the  Chowfa  Mongkut),  and  proclaim  him 
heir-apparent  to  the  throne.  He  then  selected  twelve 
noblemen,  distinguished  for  then  attainments,  prudence. 


238 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


and  virtue,  — most  conspicuous  among  them  the  venera- 
ble but  energetic  Duke  Somdetch  Ong  Yai,  — to  be  tutors 
and  guardians  to  the  lad.  By  these  be  was  carefully 
taught  in  all  the  learning  of  his  time ; Sanskrit  and  Pali 
formed  his  chief  study,  and  from  the  first  he  aspired  to 
proficiency  in  Latin  and  English,  for  the  pursuit  of  which 
he  soon  found  opportunities  among  the  missionaries.  His 
translations  from  the  Sanskrit,  Pali,  and  Magadthi,  mark 
him  as  an  authority  among  Oriental  linguists ; and  his 
knowledge  of  English,  though  never  perfect,  became  at 
least  extensive  and  varied ; so  that  he  could  correspond, 
with  credit  to  himself,  with  Englishmen  of  distinction, 
such  as  the  Earl  of  Clarendon  and  Lords  Stanley  and 
Bussell. 

In  his  eighteenth  year  he  married  a noble  lady,  de- 
scended from  the  Phya  Tak  Sinn,  who  bore  him  two 
sons. 

Two  years  later  the  throne  became  vacant  by  the  death 
of  his  father ; but  (as  the  reader  has  already  learned)  his 
elder  half-brother,  who,  through  the  intrigues  of  his 
mother,  had  secured  a footing  in  the  favor  of  the  Sena- 
bawdee,  was  inducted  by  that  “ Royal  Council  ” into 
power.  Unequal  to  the  exploit  of  unseating  the  usurper, 
and  fearing  his  unscrupulous  jealousy,  the  Chowfa  Mong- 
kut  took  refuge  in  a monastery,  and  entered  the  priest- 
hood, leaving  his  wife  and  two  sons  to  mourn  him  as 
one  dead  to  them.  In  this  self-imposed  celibacy  he  lived 
throughout  the  long  reign  of  his  half-brother,  which  lasted 
twenty-seven  years. 

In  the  calm  retreat  of  his  Buddhist  cloister  the  contem- 
plative tastes  of  the  royal  scholar  found  fresh  entertain- 
ment, his  intellectual  aspirations  a new  incitement. 

He  labored  with  enthusiasm  for  the  diffusion  of  religion 
and  enlightenment,  and,  above  all,  to  promote  a higher 
appreciation  of  the  teachings  of  Buddha,  to  whose  doc- 


The  Supreme  King 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


239 


trines  he  devoted  himself  with  exemplary  zeal  throughout 
his  sacerdotal  career.  From  the  Buddhist  scriptures  he 
compiled  with  reverent  care  an  impressive  liturgy  for  his 
own  use.  His  private  charities  amounted  annually  to  ten 
thousand  ticals.  All  the  fortune  he  accumulated,  from 
the  time  of  his  quitting  the  court  until  his  return  to  it  to 
accept  the  diadem  offered  by  the  Senabawdee,  he  ex- 
pended either  in  charitable  distributions  or  in  the  pur- 
chase of  books,  sacred  manuscripts,  and  relics  for  his 
monastery.* 

It  was  during  his  retirement  that  he  wrote  that  nota- 
ble treatise  in  defence  of  the  divinity  of  the  revelations 
of  Buddha,  in  which  he  essays  to  prove  that  it  was  the 
single  aim  of  the  great  reformer  to  deliver  man  from  all 
selfish  and  carnal  passions,  and  in  which  he  uses  these 
words : “ These  are  the  only  obstacles  in  the  search  for 
Truth.  The  most  solid  wisdom  is  to  know  this,  and  to 
apply  one’s  self  to  the  conquest  of  one’s  self.  This  it 
is  to  become  the  enlightened,  — the  Buddha ! ” And  he 
concludes  with  the  remark  of  Asoka,  the  Indian  king : 
“ That  which  has  been  delivered  unto  us  by  Buddha,  that 
alone  is  well  said,  and  worthy  of  our  soul’s  profoundest 
homage.” 

In  the  pursuit  of  his  appointed  ends  Maha  Mongkut 
was  active  and  pertinacious ; no  labors  wearied  him  nor 
pains  deterred  him.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  Protestant 
missionaries,  in  1820,  he  had  acquired  some  knowledge 
of  Latin  and  the  sciences  from  the  Jesuits ; but  when  the 
Protestants  came  he  manifested  a positive  preference  for 
their  methods  of  instruction,  inviting  one  or  another  of 

* “ On  the  third  reign  he  [himself]  served  his  eldest  royal  half-brother, 
by  superintending  the  construction  and  revision  of  royal  sacred  books  in 
royal  libraries  : so  he  was  appointed  the  principal  superintendent  of  cler- 
gymen’s acts  and  works  of  Buddhist  religion,  and  selector  of  religious 
learned  wise  men  in  the  country,  during  the  third  reign.”  — From  the  pen 
of  Maha  Mongkut. 


240 


THE  SUPREME  KING: 


them  daily  to  his  temple,  to  aid  him  in  the  study  of  Eng- 
lish. Finally  he  placed  himself  under  the  permanent 
tutorship  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Caswell,  an  American  mission- 
ary ; and,  in  order  to  encourage  his  preceptor  to  visit  him 
frequently,  he  fitted  up  a convenient  resting-place  for  him 
on  the  route  to  the  temple,  where  that  excellent  man 
might  teach  the  poorer  people  who  gathered  to  hear  him. 
Under  Mr.  Caswell  he  made  extraordinary  progress  in  ad- 
vanced and  liberal  ideas  of  government,  commerce,  even 
religion.  He  never  hesitated  to  express  his  respect  for 
the  fundamental  principles  of  Christianity ; but  once, 
when  pressed  too  closely  by  his  reverend  moonshee  with 
what  he  regarded  as  the  more  pretentious  and  apocryphal 
portions  of  the  Bible,  he  checked  that  gentleman’s  ad- 
vance with  the  remark  that  has  ever  been  remembered 
against  him,  “ I hate  the  Bible  mostly  ! ” 

As  High-Priest  of  Siam  — the  mystic  and  potential 
office  to  which  he  was  in  the  end  exalted  — he  became 
the  head  of  a new  school,  professing  strictly  the  pure 
philosophy  inculcated  by  Buddha : “ the  law  of  Compen- 
sation, of  Many  Births,  and  of  final  Niplian,”  * — but  not 
Nihilism,  as  the  word  and  the  idea  are  commonly  defined. 
It  is  only  to  the  idea  of  God  as  an  ever-active  Creator  that 
the  new  school  of  Buddhists  is  opposed,  — not  to  the 
Deity  as  a primal  source,  from  whose  thought  and  pleas- 
ure sprang  all  forms  of  matter ; nor  can  they  be  brought 
to  admit  the  need  of  miraculous  intervention  in  the  order 
of  nature. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  men- 
tion a remark  that  the  king  (still  speaking  as  a high- 
priest,  having  authority)  once  made  to  me,  on  the  subject 
of  the  miracles  recorded  in  the  Bible  : — 

“ You  say  that  marriage  is  a holy  institution ; and  I 
believe  it  is  esteemed  a sacrament  by  one  of  the  principal 


Attainment  of  beatitude. 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


241 


brandies  of  your  sect.  It  is,  of  all  the  laws  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  most  wise  and  incontestable,  pervading  all 
forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  Yet  your  God  (mean- 
ing the  Christian’s  God)  has  stigmatized  it  as  unholy,  in 
that  he  would  not  permit  his  Son  to  be  born  in  the  or- 
dinary way ; but  must  needs  perform  a miracle  in  order 
to  give  birth  to  one  divinely  inspired.  Buddha  was  di- 
vinely inspired,  but  he  was  only  man.  Thus  it  seems  to 
me  he  is  the  greater  of  the  two,  because  out  of  his  own 
heart  he  studied  humanity,  which  is  but  another  form  of 
divinity ; and,  the  carnal  mind  being  by  this  contempla- 
tion subdued,  he  became  the  Divinely  Enlightened .” 

"When  his  teacher  had  begun  to  entertain  hopes  that 
he  would  one  day  become  a Christian,  he  came  out  openly 
against  the  idea,  declaring  that  he  entertained  no  thought 
of  such  a change.  He  admonished  the  missionaries  not 
to  deceive  themselves,  saying : “ You  must  not  imagine 
that  any  of  my  party  will  ever  become  Christians.  We 
cannot  embrace  what  we  consider  a foolish  religion.” 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1351  his  supreme  Majesty, 
Prabat  Somdetch  P’hra  Nang  Ivlou,  fell  ill,  and  gradually 
declined  until  the  3d  of  April,  when  he  expired,  and  the 
throne  was  again  vacant.  The  dying  sovereign,  forgetting 
or  disregarding  his  promise  to  his  half-brother,  the  true 
heir,  had  urged  with  all  his  influence  that  the  succession 
should  fall  to  his  eldest  son  ; but  in  the  assembly  of  the 
Senabawdee,  Somdetch  Ong  Yai  (father  of  the  present 
prime  minister  of  Siam),  supported  by  Somdetch  Ong 
Noi,  vehemently  declared  himself  in  favor  of  the  liigh- 
priest  Chowfa  Mongkut. 

This  struck  terror  to  the  “illegitimates,”  and  mainly 
availed  to  quell  the  rising  storm  of  partisan  conflict. 
Moreover,  Ong  Yai  had  taken  the  precaution  to  surround 
the  persons  of  the  princes  with  a formidable  guard,  and 
to  distribute  an  overwhelming  force  of  militia  in  all  quar- 
11  p 


242 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


ters  of  tlie  city,  ready  for  instant  action  at  a signal  from 
him. 

Thus  the  two  royal  brothers,  with  views  more  liberal, 
as  to  religion,  education,  foreign  trade,  and  intercourse, 
than  the  most  enlightened  of  their  predecessors  had  en- 
tertained, were  firmly  seated  on  the  throne  as  “ first  ” and 
“ second  ” kings  ; and  every  citizen,  native  or  foreign,  be- 
gan to  look  with  confidence  for  the  dawn  of  better  times. 

Nor  did  the  newly  crowned  sovereign  forget  his  friends 
and  teachers,  the  American  missionaries.  He  sent  for 
them,  and  thanked  them  cordially  for  all  that  they  had 
taught  him,  assuring  them  that  it  was  his  earnest  desire 
to  administer  his  government  after  the  model  of  the 
limited  monarchy  of  England ; and  to  introduce  schools, 
where  the  Siamese  youth  might  be  well  taught  in  the 
English  language  and  literature  and  the  sciences  of  Eu- 
rope.* 

There  can  be  no  just  doubt  that,  at  the  time,  it  was  his 
sincere  purpose  to  carry  these  generous  impulses  into 
practical  effect ; for  certainly  he  was,  in  every  moral  and 
intellectual  respect,  nobly  superior  to  his  predecessor,  and 
to  his  dying  hour  he  was  conspicuous  for  his  attachment  to 
a sound  philosophy  and  the  purest  maxims  of  Buddha. 
Yet  we  find  in  him  a deplorable  example  of  the  degrading 
influence  on  the  human  mind  of  the  greed  of  possessions 
and  power,  and  of  the  infelicities  that  attend  it ; for 


* In  this  connection  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Bradley,  Caswell,  House,  Matoon, 
and  Dean  are  entitled  to  special  mention.  To  their  united  influence  Siam 
unquestionably  owes  much,  if  not  all,  of  her  present  advancement  and 
prosperity.  Nor  would  I be  thought  to  detract  from  the  high  praise  that 
is  due  to  their  fellow-laborers  in  the  cause  of  Christianity,  the  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries,  who  are,  and  ever  have  been,  indefatigable  in  their 
exertions  for  the  good  of  the  country.  Especially  will  the  name  of  the 
excellent  bishop,  Monseigneur  Pallegoix,  be  held  in  honor  and  affec- 
tion by  people  of  all  creeds  and  tongues  in  Siam,  as  that  of  a pure  and 
devoted  follower  of  our  common  Redeemer. 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


243 


though  he  promptly  set  about  the  reforming  of  abuses  in 
the  several  departments  of  his  government,  and  invited 
the  ladies  of  the  American  mission  to  teach  in  his 
new  harem,  nevertheless  he  soon  began  to  indulge  his 
avaricious  and  sensual  propensities,  and  cast  a jealous  eye 
upon  the  influence  of  the  prime  minister,  the  son  of  his 
stanch  old  friend,  the  Duke  Ong  Yai,  to  whom  lie  owed 
almost  the  crown  itself,  and  of  his  younger  brother,  the 
Second  King,  and  of  the  neighboring  princes  of  Chiengmai 
and  Cochin  China.  He  presently  offended  those  who,  by 
their  resolute  display  of  loyalty  in  his  hour  of  peril,  had 
seated  him  safely  on  the  throne  of  his  ancestors. 

From  this  time  he  was  continually  exposed  to  disap- 
pointment, mortification,  slights,  from  abroad,  and  con- 
spiracy at  home.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  steadfast  ad- 
herence of  the  Second  King  and  the  prime  minister,  the 
sceptre  would  have  been  wrested  from  his  grasp  and  be- 
stowed upon  his*more  popular  brother. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  he  appeared,  to  those  who 
observed  him  only  on  the  public  stage  of  affairs,  to  rule  with 
wisdom,  to  consult  the  welfare  of  his  subjects,  to  be  con- 
cerned for  the  integrity  of  justice  and  the  purity  of  man- 
ners and  conversation  in  his  own  court,  and  careful,  by  a 
prudent  administration,  to  confirm  his  power  at  home  and 
his  prestige  abroad.  Considered  apart  from  his  domestic 
relations,  he  was,  in  many  respects,  an  able  and  virtuous 
ruler.  His  foreign  policy  was  liberal ; he  extended  tolera- 
tion to  all  religious  sects ; he  expended  a generous  portion 
of  his  revenues  in  public  improvements,  — monasteries, 
temples,  bazaars,  canals,  bridges,  arose  at  his  bidding  on 
every  side ; and  though  he  fell  short  of  his  early  prom- 
ise, he  did  much  to  improve  the  condition  of  his  subjects. 

For  example,  at  the  instance  of  her  Britannic  Majes- 
ty’s Consul,  the  Honorable  Thomas  George  Knox,  he  re- 
moved the  heavy  boat-tax  that  had  so  oppressed  the 


244 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


poorer  masses  of  the  Siamese,  and  constructed  good  roads, 
and  improved  the  international  chambers  of  judicature. 

But  as  husband  and  kinsman  his  character  assumes  a 
most  revolting  aspect.  Envious,  revengeful,  subtle,  he 
was  as  fickle  and  petulant  as  he  was  suspicious  and  cruel. 
His  brother,  even  the  offspring  of  his  brother,  became  to 
him  objects  of  jealousy,  if  not  of  hatred.  Their  friends 
must,  fie  thought,  be  his  enemies,  and  applause  bestowed 
upon  them  was  odious  to  his  soul.  .There  were  many 
horrid  tragedies  in  his  harem  in  wdiich  he  enacted  the 
part  of  a barbarian  and  a despot.  Plainly,  his  conduct  as 
the  head  of  a great  family  to  whom  his  will  was  a law  of 
terror  reflects  abiding  disgrace  upon  his  name.  Yet  it 
had  this  redeeming  feature,  that  he  tenderly  loved  those 
of  his  children  whose  mothers  had  been  agreeable  to  him. 
He  never  snubbed  or  slighted  them ; and  for  the  little 
princess,  Chow  Fa-ying,  whose  mother  had  been  to  him  a 
most  gentle  and  devoted  wife,  his  affection  was  very 
strong  and  enduring. 

But  to  turn  from  the  contemplation  of  his  private 
traits,  so  contradictory  and  offensive,  to  the  consideration 
of  his  public  acts,  so  liberal  and  beneficent.  Several  com- 
mercial treaties  of  the  first  importance  were  concluded 
with  foreign  powers  during  his  reign.  In  the  first  place, 
the  Siamese  government  voluntarily  reduced  the  measure- 
ment duties  on  foreign  shipping  from  nineteen  hundred 
to  one  thousand  ticals  per  fathom  of  ship’s  beam.  This 
was  a brave  stride  in  the  direction  of  a sound  commercial 
policy,  and  an  earnest  of  greater  inducements  to  enter- 
prising traders  from  abroad.  In  1855  a new  treaty  of 
commerce  was  negotiated  with  his  Majesty’s  government 
by  H.  B.  M.’s  plenipotentiary,  Sir  John  Bowring,  which 
proved  of  very  positive  advantage  to  both  parties.  On 
the  29th  of  May,  1856,  a new  treaty,  substantially  like 
that  with  Great  Britain,  was  procured  by  Townsend 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


245 


Harris,  Esq.,  representing  the  United  States ; and  later  in 
the  same  year  still  another,  in  favor  of  France,  through 
H.  I.  M.’s  Envoy,  M.  Montigny. 

Before  that  time  Portugal  had  been  the  only  foreign 
government  having  a consul  residing  at  Bangkok.  Now 
the  way  was  opened  to  admit  a resident  consul  of  each 
of  the  treaty  powers  ; and  shortly  millions  of  dollars 
flowed  into  Siam  annually  by  channels  through  which 
but  a few  tens  of  thousands  had  been  drawn  before. 
Foreign  traders  and  merchants  flocked  to  Bangkok  and 
established  rice-mills,  factories  for  the  production  of  sugar 
and  oil,  and  warehouses  for  the  importation  of  European 
fabrics.  They  found  a ready  market  for  their  wares,  and 
an  aspect  of  thrift  and  comfort  began  to  enliven  the  once 
neglected  and  cheerless  land. 

A new  and  superb  palace  was  erected,  after  the  model 
of  Windsor  Castle,  together  with  numerous  royal  resi- 
dences in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  nobility 
began  to  emulate  the  activity  and  munificence  of  their 
sovereign,  and  to  compete  with  each  other  in  the  gran- 
deur of  their  dwellings  and  the  splendor  of  their  corteges. 

So  prosperous  did  the  country  become  under  the  be- 
nign influence  of  foreign  trade  and  civilization,  that  other 
treaties  were  speedily  concluded  with  almost  every  nation 
under  the  sun,  and  his  Majesty  found  it  necessary  to  ac- 
credit Sir  John  Bowring  as  plenipotentiary  for  Siam 
abroad. 

Early  in  tills  reign  the  appointment  of  harbor-master 
at  Bangkok  was  conferred  upon  an  English  gentleman, 
who  proved  so  efficient  in  his  functions  that  he  was  dis- 
tinguished with  the  fifth  title  of  a Siamese  noble.  Next 
came  a French  commander  and  a French  band-master  for 
the  royal  troops.  Then  a custom-house  was  established, 
and  a “ live  Yankee  ” installed  at  the  head  of  it,  who  was 
also  glorified  with  a title  of  honor.  Finally  a police  force 


246 


THE  SUPKEME  KING: 


was  organized,  composed  of  trusty  Malays  hired  from 
Singapore,  and  commanded  by  one  of  the  most  energetic 
Englishmen  to  be  found  in  the  East,  — a measure  which 
has  done  more  than  all  others  to  promote  a comfortable 
sense  of  “ law  and  order  ” throughout  the  city  and  out- 
skirts of  Bangkok.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however, 
in  justice  to  the  British  Consul-General  in  Siam,  Mr. 
Thomas  George  Knox,  that  the  sure  though  silent  in- 
fluence was  his,  whereby  the  minds  of  the  king  and  the 
prime  minister  were  led  to  appreciate  the  benefits  that 
must  accrue  from  these  foreign  innovations. 

The  privilege  of  constructing,  on  liberal  terms,  a line 
of  telegraph  through  Maulmain  to  Singapore,  with  a 
branch  to  Bangkok,  has  been  granted  to  the  Singapore 
Telegraph  Company ; and  finally  a sanitarium  has  been 
erected  on  the  coast  at  Anghin,  for  the  benefit  of  native 
and  foreign  residents  needing  the  invigoration  of  sea-air* 

During  his  retirement  in  the  monastery  the  king  had  a 
stroke  of  paralysis,  from  which  he  perfectly -recovered ; 
but  it  left  its  mark  on  his  face,  in  the  form  of  a peculiar 
falling  of  the  under  lip  on  the  right  side.  In  person  he 
was  of  middle  stature,  slightly  built,  of  regular  features 
and  fair  complexion.  In  early  life  he  lost  most  of  his 
teeth,  but  lie  had  had  them  replaced  with  a set  made  from 
sapan-wood,  — a secret  that  he  kept  very  sensitively  to 
the  day  of  his  death. 


* “ His  Excellency  Chow  Phya  Bliibakrwongs  Maha  Kosa  Dhipude, 
the  P’hraklang,  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  has  built  a sanitarium  at 
Anghin  for  the  benefit  of  the  public.  It  is  for  benefit  of  the  Siamese, 
Europeans,  or  Americans,  to  go  and  occupy,  when  unwell,  to  restore  their 
health.  All  are  cordially  invited  to  go  there  for  a suitable  length  of 
time  and  be  happy  ; but  are  requested  not  to  remain  month  after  month 
and  year  after  year,  and  regard  it  as  a place  without  an  owner.  To  re- 
gal’d it  in  this  way  cannot  be  allowed,  for  it  is  public  property,  and  others 
should  go  and  stop  there  also.”  — Advertisement,  Siam  Monitor,  August 
29,  1808. 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


247 


Capable  at  times  of  the  noblest  impulses,  he  was  equal- 
ly capable  of  the  basest  actions.  Extremely  accessible  to 
praise,  he  indiscriminately  entertained  every  form  of  flat- 
tery; but  his  fickleness  was  such  that  no  courtier  could 
cajole  him  long.  Among  his  favorite  women  was  the 
beautiful  Princess  Tongoo  Soopia,  sister  to  the  unfortunate 
Sultan  Mahmoud,  ex-rajah  of  Pahang.  Falling  fiercely 
in  love  with  her  on  her  presentation  at  his  court,  he  pro- 
cured her  for  his  harem  against  her  will,  and  as  a hostage 
for  the  good  faith  of  her  brother ; but  as  she,  being  Mo- 
hammedan, ever  maintained  toward  him  a deportment  of 
tranquil  indifference,  he  soon  tired  of  her,  and  finally  dis- 
missed her  to  a wretched  life  of  obsoleteness  and  neglect 
within  the  palace  walls. 

The  only  woman  who  ever  managed  him  with  acknowl- 
edged success  was  Klioon  Chom  Piem  : hardly  pretty, 
but  well  formed,  and  of  versatile  tact,  totally  uneducated, 
of  barely  respectable  birth,  — being  Chinese  on  her 
father’s  side,  — yet  withal  endowed  with  a nice  intuitive 
appreciation  of  character.  Once  conscious  of  her  grow- 
ing influence  over  the  king,  she  contrived  to  foster  and 
exercise  it  for  years,  with  but  a slight  rebuff  now  and 
then.  Being  modest  to  a fault,  even  at  times  obnoxious 
to  the  imputation  of  prudishness,  she  habitually  feigned 
excuses  for  non-attendance  in  his  Majesty’s  chambers, — 
such  as  delicate  health,  the  nursing  of  her  children, 
mourning  for  the  death  of  this  or  that  relative,  — and 
voluntarily  visited  him  only  at  rare  intervals.  In  the 
course  of  six  years  she  amassed  considerable  treasure, 
procured  good  places  at  court  for  members  of  her  family, 
and  was  the  means  of  bringing  many  Chinamen  to  the  no- 
tice of  the  king.  At  the  same  time  she  lived  in  continual 
fear,  was  warily  humble  and  conciliating  toward  her  rival 
sisters,  who  pitied  rather  than  envied  her,  and  retained  in 
her  pay  most  of  the  female  executive  force  in  the  palace. 


248 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


In  his  daily  habits  his  Majesty  was  remarkably  indus- 
trious and  frugal.  His  devotion  to  the  study  of  astron- 
omy never  abated,  and  he  calculated  with  respectable 
accuracy  the  great  solar  eclipse  of  August,  1868. 

The  French  government  having  sent  a special  commis- 
sion, under  command  of  the  Baron  Hugon  le  Tourneur, 
to  observe  the  eclipse  in  Siam,  the  king  erected,  at  a place 
called  Hua  Wdnn  (“The  Whale’s  Head”),  a commodious 
observatory,  besides  numerous  pavilions  varying  in  size 
and  magnificence,  for  his  Majesty  and  retinue,  the  French 
commission,  the  Governor  of  Singapore  (Colonel  Ord)  and 
suite,  who  had  been  invited  to  Bangkok  by  the  king,  and 
for  ministers  and  nobles  of  Siam.  Provision  was  made, 
at  the  cost  of  government,  for  the  regal  entertainment, 
in  a town  of  booths  and  tabernacles,  of  the  vast  concourse 
of  natives  and  Europeans  who  followed  his  Majesty  from 
the  capital  to  witness  the  sublime  phenomenon ; and  a 
herd  of  fifty  noble  elephants  were  brought  from  the  an- 
cient city  of  Ayudia  for  service  and  display. 

The  prospect  becoming  dubious  and  gloomy  just  at 
the  time  of  first  contact  (ten  o’clock),  the  prime  minister 
archly  invited  the  foreigners  who  believed  in  an  overruling 
Providence  to  pray  to  him  “ that  he  may  be  pleased  to 
disperse  the  clouds  long  enough  to  afford  us  a good  view  of 
the  grandest  of  eclipses.”  Presently  the  clouds  were  par- 
tially withdrawn  from  the  sun,  and  his  Majesty  observing 
that  one  twentieth  of  the  disk  was  obscured,  announced 
the  fact  to  his  own  people  by  firing  a cannon ; and  imme- 
diately pipes  screamed  and  trumpets  blared  in  the  royal 
pavilion,  — a tribute  of  reverence  to  the  traditional  fable 
about  the  Angel  Ilalioo  swallowing  the  sun.  Both  the 
king  and  prime  minister,  scorning  the  restraints  of  dignity, 
were  fairly  boisterous  in  their  demonstrations  of  triumph 
and  delight ; the  latter  skipping  from  point  to  point  to 
squint  through  his  long  telescope.  At  the  instant  of 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


249 


absolute  totality,  when  the  very  last  ray  of  the  sun  had 
become  extinct,  his  Excellency  shouted,  “ Hurrah,  hur- 
rah, hurrah  ! ” and  scientifically  disgraced  himself.  Leav- 
ing his  spyglass  swinging,  he  ran  through  the  gateway  of 
his  pavilion,  and  cried  to  his  prostrate  wives,  “ Hence- 
forth will  you  not  believe  the  foreigners  ? ” 

But  that  other  Excellency,  Chow  Phya  Bliudharahhay, 
Minister  for  Northern  Siam,  more  orthodox,  sat  in  dum- 
foundered  hiith,  and  gaped  at  the  awful  deglutition  of  the 
Angel  Bahoo. 

The  government  expended  not  less  than  a hundred 
thousand  dollars  on  this  scientific  expedition,  and  a dele- 
gation from  the  foreign  community  of  Bangkok  approached 
his  Majesty  with  an  address  of  thanks  for  his  indiscrimi- 
nate hospitality. 

But  the  extraordinary  excitement,  and  exposure  to  the 
noxious  atmosphere  of  the  jungle,  proved  inimical  to  the 
constitution  of  the  king.  On  his  return  to  Bangkok  he 
complained  of  general  weariness  and  prostration,  which 
was  the  prelude  to  fever.  Foreign  physicians  were  con- 
sulted, hut  at  no  stage  of  the  case  was  any  European 
treatment  employed.  He  rapidly  grew  worse,  and  was 
soon  past  saving.  On  the  day  before  his  death  he  called 
to  his  bedside  his  nearest  relatives,  and  parted  among 
them  such  of  his  personal  effects  as  were  most  prized  by 
him,  saying,  “ T have  no  more  need  of  these  things.  I 
must  give  up  my  life  also.”  Buddhist  priests  were  con- 
stant in  attendance,  and  he  seemed  to  derive  much  com- 
fort from  their  prayers  and  exhortations.  In  the  evening 
he  wrote  with  his  own  hand  a tender  farewell  to  the 
mothers  of  his  many  children,  — eighty-one  in  number. 
On  the  morning  of  his  last  day  (October  1,  1868)  he 
dictated  in  the  Pali  language  a farewell  address  to  the 
Buddhist  priesthood,  the  spirit  of  which  was  admirable,  and 
clearly  manifested  the  faith  of  the  dying  man  in  the  doc- 

ii* 


250 


TIIE  SUPREME  KING  : 


trines  of  the  Reformer ; for  he  hesitated  not  to  say: 
“ Farewell,  ye  faithful  followers  of  Buddha,  to  whom 
death  is  nothing,  even  as  all  earthly  existence  is  vain,  all 
things  mutable,  and  death  inevitable.  Presently  I shall 
myself  submit  to  that  stern  necessity.  Farewell!  for  I 
go  only  a little  before  you.” 

Feeling  sure  that  he  must  die  before  midnight,  he  sum- 
moned his  half-brother,  H.  R H.  Krom  Hluang  Wongse, 
his  Excellency  the  prime  minister,  Chow  Phya  Kra- 
lahome,  and  others,  and  solemnly  imposed  upon  them 
the  care  of  his  eldest  son,  the  Chowfa  Chulalonkorn,  and 
of  his  kingdom ; at  the  same  time  expressing  his  last 
earthly  wish,  that  the  Senabawdee,  in  electing  his  succes- 
sor, would  give  their  voices  for  one  who  should  conciliate 
all  parties,  that  the  country  might  not  be  distracted  by 
dissensions  on  that  question.  He  then  told  them  he  was 
about  to  finish  his  course,  and  implored  them  not  to  give 
way  to  grief,  “ nor  to  any  sudden  surprise,”  that  he  should 
leave  them  thus ; “ ’t  is  an  event  that  must  befall  all 
creatures  that  come  into  this  world,  and  may  not  be 
avoided.”  Then  turning  his  gaze  upon  a small  image  of 
his  adored  teacher,  he  seemed  for  some  time  absorbed  in 
awful  contemplation.  “ Such  is  life  ! ” Those  were  actu- 
ally the  last  words  of  this  most  remarkable  Buddhist  king. 
He  -died  like  a philosopher,  calmly  and  sententiously  so- 
liloquizing on  death  and  its  inevitability.  At  the  final 
moment,  no  one  being  near  save  his  adopted  son,  Phya 
Buroot,  he  raised  his  hands  before  his  face,  as  in  his  ac- 
customed posture  of  devotion ; then  suddenly  his  head 
dropped  backward,  and  he  was  gone. 

That  very  night,  without  disorder  or  debate,  the  Sena- 
bawdee elected  his  eldest  son,  Somdetch  Chowfa  Chula- 
lonkorn, to  succeed  him ; and  the  Prince  George  Wash- 
ington, eldest  son  of  the  late  Second  King,  to  succeed  to 
his  father’s  subordinate  throne,  under  the  title  of  Krom 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


251 


P’lira  Raja  Bowawn  Shathan  Mongkoon.  The  title  of  the 
present  supreme  king  (my  amiable  and  very  promising 
scholar)  is  Prabat  Somdeteh  P’hra  Paramendr  Malia  Chu- 
lalonkorn  Kate  Klou  Chow-yu-Hua. 

About  a year  after  my  first  ill-omened  interviews  with 
Malm  Mongkut,  and  when  I had  become  permanently  in- 
stalled in  my  double  office  of  teacher  and  scribe,  I was 
one  day  busy  with  a letter  from  his  Majesty  to  the  Earl 
of  Clarendon,  and  finding  that  any  attempt  at  partial 
correction  would  but  render  his  meaning  more  ambiguous, 
and  impair  the  striking  originality  of  his  style,  I had 
abandoned  the  effort,  and  set  about  copying  it  with  literal 
exactness,  only  venturing  to  alter  here  and  there  a word, 
such  as  “ I hasten  with  wilful  pleasure  to  write  in  reply 
to  your  Lordship’s  well-wishing  letter,”  etc.  Whilst  I was 
thus  evolving  from  the  depths  of  my  inner  consciousness 
a satisfactory  solution  to  this  conundrum  in  King’s  Eng- 
lish, his  Majesty’s  private  secretary  lolled  in  the  sunniest 
corner  of  the  room,  stretching  his  dusky  limbs  and  heav- 
ily nodding,  in  an  ecstasy  of  ease-taking.  Poor  P’hra- 
Alack  ! I never  knew  him  to  be  otherwise  than  sleepy, 
and  his  sleep  was  always  stolen.  For  his  Majesty  was 
the  most  capricious  of  kings  as  to  his  working  moods, — 
busy  when  the  average  man  should  be  sleeping,  sleeping 
while  letters,  papers,  despatches,  messengers,  mail-boats 
waited.  More  than  once  had  we  been  aroused  at  dead 
of  night  by  noisy  female  slaves,  and  dragged  in  hot  haste 
and  consternation  to  the  Hall  of  Audience,  only  to  find 
that  his  Majesty  was,  not  at  his  last  gasp,  as  we  had 
feared,  but  simply  bothered  to  find  in  Webster’s  Diction- 
ary some  word  that  was  to  be  found  nowhere  but  in  his 
own  fertile  brain  ; or  perhaps  in  excited  chase  of  the 
classical  term  for  some  trifle  he  was  on  the  point  of  or- 
dering from  London,  — and  that  word  was  sure  to  be  a 
stranger  to  my  brain. 


252 


THE  SUPREME  KING: 


Before  my  arrival  in  Bangkok  it  had  been  his  not  un- 
common practice  to  send  for  a missionary  at  midnight, 
have  him  beguiled  or  abducted  from  his  bed,  and  conveyed 
by  boat  to  the  palace,  some  miles  up  the  river,  to  inquire 
if  it  would  not  be  more  elegant  to  write  murky  instead 
of  obscure,  or  gloomily  dark  rather  than  not  clearly  appar- 
ent. And  if  the  wretched  man  should  venture  to  declare 
his  honest  preference  for  the  ordinary  over  the  extraordi- 
nary form  of  expression,  he  was  forthwith  dismissed  with 
irony,  arrogance,  or  even  insult,  and  without  a word  of 
apology  for  the  rude  invasion  of  his  rest. 

One  night,  a little  after  twelve  o’clock,  as  he  was  on 
the  point  of  going  to  bed  like  any  plain  citizen  of  regular 
habits,  his  Majesty  fell  to  thinking  how  most  accurately 
to  render  into  English  the  troublesome  Siamese  word  phi , 
which  admits  of  a variety  of  interpretations.*  After 
puzzling  over  it  for  more  than  an  hour,  getting  himself 
possessed  with  the  word  as  with  the  devil  it  stands  for, 
and  all  to  no  purpose,  he  ordered  one  of  his  lesser  state 
barges  to  be  manned  and  despatched  with  all  speed  for 
the  British  Consul.  That  functionary,  inspired  with  live- 
ly alarm  by  so  startling  a summons,  dressed  himself  with 
unceremonious  celerity,  and  hurried  to  the  palace,  conjec- 
turing on  the  way  all  imaginable  possibilities  of  politics 
and  diplomacy,  revolution  or  invasion.  To  his  vexation, 
not  less  than  his  surprise,  he  found  the  king  in  dishabille, 
engaged  with  a Siamese-English  vocabulary,  and  mentally 
divided  between  “ deuce  ” and  “ devil,”  in  the  choice  of  an 
equivalent.  His  preposterous  Majesty  gravely  laid  the 
case  before  the  consul,  who,  though  inwardly  chafing  at 
what  he  termed  “ the  confounded  coolness  ” of  the  situa- 
tion, had  no  choice  but  to  decide  with  grace,  and  go  back 
to  bed  with  philosophy. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  P’hra- Alack  experienced  an  ac- 

* Ghost,  spirit,  soul,  devil,  evil  angel. 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION.  253 

cess  of  gratitude  for  the  privilege  of  napping  for  two 
hours  in  a snuggery  of  sunshine. 

“ Mam-kha,”  * he  murmured  drowsily,  “ I hope  that  in 
the  Chat-Nah  f I shall  be  a freed  man.” 

“ I hope  so  sincerely,  P’hra- Alack,”  said  I.  “ I hope 
you  '11  be  an  Englishman  or  an  American,  for  then  you  ’ll 
be  sure  to  be  independent.” 

It  was  impossible  not  to  pity  the  poor  old  man,  stiff 
with  continual  stooping  to  his  task,  and  so  subdued ! 
liable  not  only  to  be  called  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night, 
but  to  be  threatened,  cuffed,  kicked,  beaten  on  the'  head,  + 
every  way  abused  and  insulted,  and  the  next  moment  to 
be  taken  into  favor,  confidence,  bosom-friendship,  even  as 
his  Majesty’s  mood  might  veer. 

Alack  for  P’hra- Alack ! though  usually  he  bore  with 
equal  patience  his  greater  and  his  lesser  ills,  there  were 
occasions  that  sharply  tried  his  meekness,  when  his  weak 
and  goaded  nature  revolted,  and  he  rushed  to  a snug  little 
home  of  his  own,  about  forty  yards  from  the  Grand  Pal- 
ace, there  to  snatch  a respite  of  rest  and  refreshment  in 
the  society  of  his  young  and  lately  wedded  wife.  Then 
the  king  would  awake  and  send  for  him,  whereupon  he 
would  be  suddenly  ill,  or  not  at  home,  strategically  hiding 
himself  under  a mountain  of  bedclothes,  and  detailing 
Mrs.  P’hra- Alack  to  reconnoitre  and  report.  He  had  tried 
this  primitive  trick  so  often  that  its  very  staleness  infuri- 
ated the  king,  who  invariably  sent  officers  to  seize  the 
trembling  accomplice  and  lock  her  up  in  a dismal  cell  as 
a hostage  for  the  scribe’s  appearance.  At  dusk  the  poor 
fellow  would  emerge,  contrite  and  terrified,  and  prostrate 
himself  at  the  gate  of  the  palace.  Then  his  Majesty 
(who,  having  spies  posted  in  every  quarter  of  the  town, 

* Kim,  “your  slave.” 
t The  next  state  of  existence. 

X The  greatest  indignity  a Siamese  can  suffer. 


254 


THE  SUPREME  KING: 


knew  as  well  as  P’hra- Alack  himself  what  the  illness  or  the 
absence  signified)  leisurely  strolled  forth,  and,  finding  the 
patient  on  the  threshold,  flew  always  into  a genuine  rage, 
and  prescribed  “ decapitation  on  the  spot,”  and  “ sixty 
lashes  on  the  bare  back,”  both  in  the  same  breath.  And 
while  the  attendants  flew  right  and  left,  — one  for  the 
blade,  another  for  the  thong,  — the  king,  still  raging, 
seized  whatever  came  most  handy,  and  belabored  his 
bosom-friend  on  the  head  and  shoulders.  Having  thus 
summarily  relieved  his  mind,  he  despatched  the  royal 
secretary  for  his  ink-horn  and  papyrus,  and  began  indit- 
ing letters,  orders,  appointments,  before  scymitar  or  lash 
(which  were  ever  tenderly  slow  on  these  occasions)  had 
made  its  appearance.  Perhaps  in  the  very  thick  of  his 
dictating  he  would  remember  the  connubial  accomplice, 
and  order  his  people  to  “ release  her,  and  let  her  go.” 

Slavery  in  Siam  is  the  lot  of  men  of  a much  liner  in- 
tellectual type  than  any  who  have  been  its  victims  in 
modern  times  in  societies  farther  west.  P’hra- Alack  had 
been  his  Majesty’s  slave  when  they  were  boys  together. 
Together  they  had  played,  studied,  and  entered  the  priest- 
hood. At  once  bondman,  comrade,  classmate,  and  con- 
fidant, he  was  the  very  man  to  fill  the  office  of  private 
secretary  to  his  royal  crony.  Virgil  made  a slave  of  his  a 
poet,  and  Horace  was  the  son  of  an  emancipated  slave. 
The  Roman  leech  and  chirurgeon  were  often  slaves;  so, 
too,  the  preceptor  and  the  pedagogue,  the  reader  and  the 
player,  the  clerk  and  the  amanuensis,  the  singer,  the 
dancer,  the  wrestler,  and  the  buffoon,  the  architect,  the 
smith,  the  weaver,  and  tire  shoemaker  ; even  the  armiger 
or  squire  was  a slave.  Educated  slaves  exercised  their 
talents  and  pursued  their  callings  for  the  emolument  of 
their  masters  ; and  thus  it  is  to-day  in  Siam.  Mutato 
nomine , de  tefabula  narratur,  P’hra-Alack  ! 

The  king’s  taste  for  English  composition  had,  by  much 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


2H5 


exercise,  developed  itself  into  a passion.  In  the  pursuit 
of  it  he  was  indefatigable,  rambling,  and  petulant.  He 
had  “ Webster’s  Unabridged  ” on  the  brain,  — an  exasper- 
ating form  of  king’s  evil.  The  little  dingy  slips  that 
emanated  freely  from  the  palace  press  were  as  indiscrim- 
inate as  they  were  quaint.  No  topic  was  too  sublime  or 
too  ignoble  for  them.  All  was  “ copy  ” that  came  to 
those  cases,  — from  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  bodies  to 
the  nuisance  of  the  busybodies  who  scolded  his  Majesty 
through  the  columns  of  the  Bangkok  Recorder. 

I have  before  me,  as  I write,  a circular  from  his  pen, 
and  in  the  type  of  his  private  press,  which,  being  without 
caption  or  signature,  may  be  supposed  to  be  addressed 
“ to  all  whom  it  may  concern.”  The  American  mission- 
aries had  vexed  his  exact  scholarship  by  their  peculiar 
mode  of  representing  in  English  letters  the  name  of  a 
native  city  ( Prippri , or  in  Sanskrit  Bcjrepuri).  Whence 
this  droll  circular,  which  begins  with  a dogmatic  line : — 

“ None  should  write  the  name  of  city  of  Prippri  thus 
— P’et  cha  poory.” 

Then  comes  a pedantic  demonstration  of  the  derivation 
of  the  name  from  a compound  Sanskrit  word,  signifying 
“ Diamond  City.”  And  the  document  concludes  with  a 
characteristic  explosion  of  impatience,  at  once  critical, 
royal,  and  sacerdotal : “ Ah  ! what  the  Romanization  of 
American  system  that  P’etch’  abury  will  be  ! Will  whole 
human  learned  world  become  the  pupil  of  their  corrupted 
Siamese  teachers  ? It  is  very  far  from  correctness.  Why 
they  did  not  look  in  journal  of  Royal  Asiatic  Society, 
where  several  words  of  Sanskrit  and  Pali  were  published 
continually  ? Their  Siamese  priestly  teachers  considered 
all  Europeans  as  very  heathen ; to  them  far  from  sacred 
tongue,  and  were  glad  to  have  American  heathens  to  be- 
come their  scholars  or  pupils ; they  thought  they  have 
taught  sacred  language  to  the  part  of  heathen ; in  fact. 


256 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


they  themselves  are  very  far  from  sacred  language,  being 
sunk  deeply  in  corruption  of  sacred  and  learned  language, 
for  tongue  of  their  former  Laos  and  Cambodian'  teachers, 
and  very  far  from  knowledge  of  Hindoostanee,  Cingha- 
lese,  and  Eoyal  Asiatic  Society’s  knowledge  in  Sanskrit, 
as  they  are  considered  by  such  the  Siamese  teachers  as 
heathen ; called  by  them  Mit  cli’a  thi-thi,  &c.,  &c.,  i.  e. 
wrongly  seer  or  spectator,  &c.,  &c  ” 

In  another  slip,  which  is  manifestly  an  outburst  of  the 
royal  petulance,  his  Majesty  demands,  in  a “displayed” 
paragraph : — 

“ Why  name  of  Mr.  Knox  [Thomas  George  Knox,  Esq., 
British  Consul]  was  not  published  thus : Missa  Nok  or 
Nawk.  If  name  of  Chow  Phya  Bhudharabhay  is  to  be 
thus : P’raya  P’oo  t’a  ra  P’ie.  And  why  the  London  was 
not  published  thus : Lundun  or  Landan,  if  Bejrepuri  is  to 
be  published  P’etch’  abury.” 

In  the  same  slip  with  the  philological  protest  the  fol- 
lowing remarkable  paragraphs  appear  : — 

“ What  has  been  published  in  No.  25  of  Bangkok  Re- 
corder thus : — 

“ ‘ The  king  of  Siam,  on  reading  from  some  European 
paper  that  the  Pope  had  lately  suffered  the  loss  of  some 
precious  jewels,  in  consequence  of  a thief  having  got 
possession  of  his  Holiness’  keys,  exclaimed,  “ What  a 
man ! professing  to  keep  the  keys  of  Heaven,  and  cannot 
even  keep  his  own  keys  ! ” ’ 

“ The  king  on  perusal  thereof  denied  that  it  is  false. 
He  knows  nothing  about  his  Holiness  the  Pope’s  sustain- 
ing loss  of  gems,  &c.,  and  has  said  nothing  about  religious 
faith.” 

This  is  curious,  in  that  it  exposes  the  king’s  unworthy 
fear  of  the  French  priesthood  in  Siam.  The  fact  is  that 
he  did  make  the  rather  smart  remark,  in  precisely  these 
words  : “ Ah  ! what  a man  ! professing  to  keep  the  keys 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


257 


of  Heaven,  and  not  able  to  guard  those  of  his  own  bu- 
reau ! ” and  he  was  quite  proud  of  his  hit.  But  when  it 
appeared  in  the  Recorder,  he  thought  it  prudent  to  bar  it 
with  a formal  denial.  Hence  the  politic  little  item  which 
he  sent  to  all  the  foreigners  in  Bangkok,  and  especially 
to  the  French  priests. 

His  Majesty’s  mode  of  dealing  with  newspaper  strict- 
ures (not  always  just)  and  suggestions  (not  always  perti- 
nent) aimed  at  his  administration  of  public  affairs,  or  the 
constitution  and  discipline  of  his  household,  was  charac- 
teristic. He  snubbed  them  with  sententious  arrogance, 
leavened  with  sarcasm. 

When  the  Recorder  recommended  to  the  king  the  ex- 
pediency of  dispersing  his  Solomonic  harem,  and  abolish- 
ing polygamy  in  the  royal  family,  his  Majesty  retorted 
with  a verbal  message  to  the  editor,  to  the  purport  that 
“ when  the  Recorder  shall  have  dissuaded  princes  and 
noblemen  from  offering  their  daughters  to  the  king  as 
concubines,  the  king  will  cease  to  receive  contributions  of 
women  in  that  capacity.” 

In  August,  1865,  an  angry  altercation  occurred  in  the 
Royal  Court  of  Equity  (sometimes  styled  the  Interna- 
tional Court)  between  a French  priest  and  Phya  Wiset,  a 
Siamese  nobleman,  of  venerable  years,  but  positive  spirit 
and  energy.  The  priest  gave  Phya  Wiset  the  lie,  and 
Phya  Wiset  gave  it  back  to  the  priest,  whereupon  the 
priest  became  noisy.  Afterward  he  reported  the  affair  to 
his  consul  at  Bangkok,  with  the  embellishing  statement 
that  not  only  himself,  but  his  religion,  had  been  grossly 
insulted.  The  consul,  one  Monsieur  Aubaret,  a peppery 
and  pugnacious  Frenchman,  immediately  made  a demand 
upon  his  Majesty  for  the  removal  of  Phya  Wiset  from 
office. 

This  despatch  was  sent  late  in  the  evening  by  the  hand 
of  Monsieur  Lamarelie,  commanding  the  troops  at  the 

Q 


258 


TIIE  SUPREME  KING  : 


royal  palace  ; and  that  officer  had  the  consul’s  order  to 
present  it  summarily.  Lamarclie  managed  to  procure  ad- 
mittance to  the  penetralia,  and  presented  the  note  at  two 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  in  violation  of  reason  and  cour- 
tesy as  well  as  of  rules,  excusing  himself  on  the  ground 
that  the  despatch  was  important  and  his  orders  peremp- 
tory. His  Majesty  then  read  the  despatch,  and  remarked 
that  the  matter  should  be  disposed  of  “ to-morrow.”  La- 
marche  replied,  very  presumptuously,  that  the  affair 
required  no  investigation,  as  he  had  heard  the  offensive 
language  of  1’hya  Wiset,  and  that  person  must  be  de- 
posed without  ceremony.  Whereupon  his  [Majesty  or- 
dered the  offensive  foreigner  to  leave  the  palace. 

Lani  n die  repaired  forthwith  to  the  consul,  and  report- 
ed that  the  king  had  spoken  disrespectfully,  not  only  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty’s  consul,  but  of  the  Emperor  him- 
self, besides  outrageously  insulting  a French  messenger. 
Then  the  fire-eating  functionary  addressed  another  de- 
spatch to  his  [Majesty,  the  purport  of  which  was,  that,  in 
expelling  Lamarclie  from  the  palace,  the  King  of  Siam 
had  been  guilty  of  a political  misdemeanor,  and  had 
rudely  disturbed  the  friendly  relations  existing  between 
France  and  Siam ; that  he  should  leave  Bangkok  for 
Paris,  and  in  six  weeks  lay  his  grievance  before  the  Em- 
peror ; but  should  first  proceed  to  Saigon,  and  engage  the 
French  admiral  there  to  attend  to  any  emergency  that 
might  arise  in  Bangkok. 

His  Majesty,  who  knew  how  to  confront  the  uproar  of 
vulgarity  and  folly  with  the  repose  of  wisdom  and  dig- 
nity, sent  his  own  cousin,  the  Prince  Mom  Bachoday, 
Chief  Judge  of  the  Eoyal  Court  of  Equity,  to  M.  Au- 
baret,  to  disabuse  his  mind,  and  impart  to  him  all  the 
truth  of  the  case.  But  the  “ furious  Frank  ” seized  the 
imposing  magnate  by  the  hair,  drove  him  from  his  door, 
and  flung  his  betel-box  after  him,  -=-  a reckless  impulse 


IIIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


259 


of  outrage  as  monstrous  as  the  most  ingenious  and  delib- 
erate brutality  could  have  devised,  lludely  to  seize  a 
Siamese  by  the  hair  is  au  indignity  as  grave  as  to  spit  in 
the  face  of  a European  ; and  the  betel-box,  beside  being 
a royal  present,  was  an  essential  part  of  the  insignia  of 
the  prince’s  judicial  office. 

On  a later  occasion  this  same  Aubaret  seized  the  oppor- 
tunity a royal  procession  afforded  to  provoke  the  king  to 
an  ill-timed  discussion  of  politics,  and  to  prefer  an  intem- 
perate complaint  against  the  Kralahome,  or  prime  minis- 
ter. This  characteristic  flourish  of  ill  temper  and  had 
manners,  from  the  representative  of  the  politest  of  na- 
tions, naturally  excited  lively  indignation  and  disgust 
among  all  respectable  dwellers,  native  or  foreign,  near  the 
court,  and  a serious  disturbance  was  imminent.  But  a 
single  dose  of  the  King’s  English  sufficed  to  soothe  the 
spasmodic  official,  and  reduce  him  to  “ a sense  of  his  sit- 
uation.” 

“ To  the  Hon.  the  Monsieur  Aubaret,  the  Consul  for  H.  I.  M. 

“ Sir  : — The  verbal  insult  or  bad  words  without  any 
step  more  over  from  lower  or  lowest  person  is  considered 
very  slight  & inconsiderable. 

“ The  person  standing  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  or 
floor  Cannot  injure  the  heavenly  bodies  or  any  highly 
hanging  Lamp  or  glope  by  ejecting  his  spit  from  his 
mouth  upward  it  will  only  injure  his  own  face  without 
attempting  of  Heavenly  bodies  — &c. 

“ The  Siamese  are  knowing  of  being  lower  than  heaven 
do  not  endeavor  to  injure  heavenly  bodies  with  their  spit 
from  mouth. 

“ A person  who  is  known  to  he  powerless  by  every  one, 
as  they  who  have  no  arms  or  legs  to  move  oppose  or  in- 
jure or  deaf  or  blind  &c.  &c.  cannot  be  considered  and 
said  that  they  are  our  enemies  even  for  their  madness  in 


2G0 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


vain  — it  might  be  considered  as  easily  agitation  or  un- 
easiness. 

“ Persons  under  strong  desires  without  any  limit  or  act- 
ing under  illimited  anger  sometimes  cannot  be  believed 
at  once  without  testimony  or  witness  if  they  stated 
against  any  one  verbally  from  such  the  statements  of  the 
most  desirous  or  persons  most  illimitedly  angry  hesitation 
and  mild  enquiry  is  very  prudent  from  persons  of  consid- 
erable rank.”  . 

Ao  signature. 


Never  were  simplicity  with  shrewdness,  and  uncon- 
scious humor  with  pathos,  and  candor  with  irony,  and 
political  economy  with  the  sense  of  an  awful  bore,  more 
quaintly  blended  than  in  the  following  extraordinary  hint, 
written  and  printed  by  his  Majesty,  and  freely  distributed 
for  the  snubbing  of  visionary  or  speculative  adventurers : 

“ Notice. 

“ When  the  general  rumor  was  and  is  spread  out  from 
Siam,  circulated  among  the  foreigners  to  Siam,  chiefly 
Europeans,  Chinese,  &c,  in  three  points : — 

“ 1.  That  Siam  is  under  quite  absolute  Monarchy. 
Whatever  her  Supreme  Sovereign  commanded,  allowed, 
&c  all  cannot  be  resisted  by  any  one  of  his  Subjects. 

“ 2.  The  Treasury  of  the  Sovereign  of  Siam,  was  full 
for  money,  like  a mountain  of  gold  and  silver ; Her  Sov- 
ereign most  wealthy. 

“ 3.  The  present  reigning  Monarch  of  Siam  is  shallow 
minded  and  admirer  of  almost  everything  of  curiosity, 
and  most  admirer  of  European  usages,  customs,  sciences, 
arts  and  literature  &c,  without  limit.  He  is  fond  of  flat- 
tering term  and  ambitious  of  honor,  so  that  there  are  now 
many  opportunities  and  operations  to  he  embraced  for 
drawing  great  money  from  Royal  Treasury  of  Siam,  &c. 

“ The  most  many  foreigners  being  under  belief  of  such 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


261 


general  rumour,  were  endeavoring  to  draw  money  from 
him  in  various  operations,  as  aluring  him  with  valuable 
curiosities  and  expectations  of  interest,  and  flattering 
him,  to  be  glad  of  them,  and  deceiving  him  in  various 
ways ; almost  on  every  opportunity  of  Steamer  coming 
to  Siam,  various  foreigners  partly  known  to  him  and  ac- 
quainted with  him,  and  generally  unknown  to  him,  boldly 
wrote  to  him  in  such  the  term  of  various  application  and 
treatment,  so  that  he  can  conclude  that  the  chief  object 
of  all  letters  written  to  him,  is  generally  to  draw  money 
from  him,  even  unreasonable.  Several  instances  and  tes- 
timonies can  be  shown  for  being  example  on  this  subject 
- — the  foreigners  letters  addressed  to  him,  come  by  every 
one  steamer  of  Siam,  and  of  foreign  steamers  visiting  Siam ; 
10  and  12  at  least  and  40  at  highest  number,  urging  him 
in  various  ways ; so  he  concluded  that  foreigners  must 
consider  him  only  as  a mad  king  of  a wild  land ! 

“ He  now  states  that  he  cannot  be  so  mad  more,  as  he 
knows  and  observes  the  consideration  of  the  foreigners 
towards  him.  Also  he  now  became  of  old  age,*  and  was 
very  sorry  to  lose  his  principal  members  of  his  family 
namely,  his  two  Queens,  twice,  and  his  younger  brother 
the  late  Second  King,  and  his  late  second  son  and  beloved 
daughter,  and  moreover  now  he  fear  of  sickness  of  his 
eldest  son,  he  is  now  unhappy  and  must  solicit  his 
friends  in  correspondence  and  others  who  please  to  write 
for  the  foresaid  purpose,  that  they  should  know  suit- 
able reason  in  writing  to  him,  and  shall  not  urge  him  as 
they  would  urge  a madman  ! And  the  general  rumours 
forementioned  are  some  exaggerated  and  some  entirely 
false ; they  shall  not  believe  such  the  rumours,  deeply 
and  ascertainedly. 

“Royal  Residence  Grand  Palace 
Bangkok  2nd  July  18G7.” 

* He  was  sixty-two  at  this  time. 


262 


THE  SUPREME  KING: 


And  now  observe  with  what  gracious  ease  this  most 
astute  and  discriminating  prince  could  fit  his  tone  to  the 
sense  of  those  who,  familiar  with  his  opinions,  and  recon- 
ciled to  his  temper  and  his  ways,  however  peculiar,  could 
reciprocate  the  catholicity  of  his  sympathies,  and  appre- 
ciate his  enlightened  efforts  to  fling  off  that  tenacious  old- 
man-of-the-sea  custom,  and  extricate  himself  from  the 
predicament  of  conflicting  responsibilities.  To  these,  on 
the  Christian  New  Year’s  day  of  1867,  he  addressed  this 
kindly  greeting : — 

“ S.  P.  P.  M.  Mongkut  : 

“ Called  in  Siamese  ‘ P’hra-Chomklau  chao-yuhua,’  in 
Magadhi  or  language  of  Pali  ‘ Siamikanam  Maha  Eajah,’ 
In  Latin  ‘ Eex  Siamensium,’  In  French  * Le  Eoi  de  Siam,’ 
In  English  ‘ The  King  of  Siam,’  and  in  Malayan  ‘ Eajah 
Maha  Pasah  ’ &c. 

“ Begs  to  present  his  respectful  and  regardful  compli- 
ments and  congratulations  in  happy  lives  during  im- 
mediately last  year,  and  wishes  the  continuing  thereof 
during  the  commencing  New  Year,  and  ensuing  and  suc- 
ceeding many  years,  to  his  foreign  friends,  both  now  in 
Siam  namely,  the  functionary  and  acting  Consuls  and 
consular  officers  of  various  distinguished  nations  in  Treaty 
Power  with  Siam  and  certain  foreign  persons  under  our 
salary,  in  service  in  any  manner  here,  and  several  Gentle- 
men and  Ladies  who  are  resident  in  Siam  in  various  sta- 
tions : namely,  the  Priests,  Preachers  of  religion,  Masters 
and  Mistresses  of  Schools,  Workmen  and  Merchants,  &c, 
and  now  abroad  in  various  foreign  countries  and  ports, 
who  are  our  noble  and  common  friends,  acquainted  either 
by  ever  having  had  correspondences  mutually  with  us 
some  time,  at  any  where  and  remaining  in  our  friendly 
remembrance  or  mutual  remembrance,  and  whosoever  are 
in  service  to  us  as  our  Consuls,  vice  consuls  and  consular 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


263 


assistants,  in  various  foreign  ports.  Let  them  know  our 
remembrance  and  good  wishes  toward  them  all. 

“ Though  we  are  not  Christians,  the  forenamed  King 
was  glad  to  arrive  this  day  in  his  valued  life,  as  being  the 
22,720th  day  of  his  age,  during  which  he  was  aged  sixty- 
two  years  and  three  months,  and  being  the  5,711th  day 
of  his  reign,  during  which  he  reigned  upon  his  kingdom 
15  years  and  8 months  up  to  the  current  month. 

“ In  like  manner  he  was  very  glad  to  see  & know  and 
hope  for  all  his  Royal  Family,  kindred  and  friends  of  both 
native  and  foreign,  living  near  and  far  to  him  had  arrived 
to  this  very  remarkable  anniversary  of  the  commencement 
of  Solar  Year  in  Anno  Cliristi  1867. 

“ In  their  all  being  healthy  and  well  living  like  himself, 
he  begs  to  express  his  royal  congratulation  and  respect 
and  graceful  regards  to  all  his  kindred  friends  both  na- 
tive and  foreign,  and  hopes  to  receive  such  the  congrat- 
ulation and  expression  of  good  wishes  toward  him  and 
members  of  his  family  in  very  like  manner,  as  he  trusts 
that  the  amity  and  grace  to  one  another  of  every  of  hu- 
man beings  who  are  innocent,  is  a great  merit,  and  is 
righteous  and  praiseworthy  in  religious  system  of  all  civil 
religion,  and  best  civilized  laws  and  morality,  &c. 

“ Given  at  the  Royal  Audience  Hall,  ‘ Anant  Sama- 
gome,’  Grand  Palace,  Bangkok,”  etc.,  etc. 

The  remoter  provinces  of  Siam  constitute  a source  of 
continual  anxiety  and  much  expense  to  the  government ; 
and  to  his  Majesty  (who,  very  conscious  of  power,  was 
proud  to  be  able  to  say  that  the  Malayan  territories  and 
rajahs — Cambodia,  with  her  marvellous  cities,  palaces,  and 
temples,  once  the  stronghold  of  Siam’s  most  formidable 
and  implacable  foes;  the  Laos  country,  with  its  warlike 
princes  and  chiefs  — were  alike  dependencies  and  tribu- 


264 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


taries  of  his  crown)  it  was  intolerably  irritating  to  find 
Cambodia  rebellious.  So  long  as  his  government  could 
successfully  maintain  its  supremacy  there,  that  country 
formed  a sort  of  neutral  ground  between  his  people  and 
the  Cochin-Chinese ; a geographical  condition  which  was 
not  without  its  political  advantages.  But  now  the  un- 
scrupulous French  had  strutted  upon  the  scene,  and  with 
a flourish  of  diplomacy  and  a stroke  of  the  pen  appropri- 
ated to  themselves  the  fairest  portion  of  that  most  fertile 
province.  His  Majesty,  though  secretly  longing  for  the 
intervention  and  protection  of  England,  was  deterred  by 
his  almost  superstitious  fear  of  the  French  from  complain- 
ing openly.  But  whenever  he  was  more  than  commonly 
annoyed  by  the  pretensions  and  aggressive  epistles  of  his 
Imperial  Majesty’s  consul  he  sent  for  me,  — thinking, 
like  all  Orientals,  that,  being  English,  my  sympathy  for 
him,  and  my  hatred  of  the  French,  were  jointly  a fore- 
gone conclusion.  When  I would  have  assured  him  that 
I was  utterly  powerless  to  help  him,  he  cut  me  short  with 
a wise  whisper  to  “ consult  Mr.  Thomas  George  Knox  ” ; 
and  when  I protested  that  that  gentleman  was  too  honor- 
able to  engage  in  a secret  intrigue  against  a colleague, 
even  for  the  protection  of  British  interests  in  Siam,  he 
would  rave  at  my  indifference,  the  cupidity  of  the  French, 
the  apathy  of  the  English,  and  the  fatuity  of  all  geogra- 
phers in  “ setting  down  ” the  form  of  government  in  Siam 
as  an  “ absolute  monarchy.” 

“ I an  absolute  monarch  ! For  I have  no  power  over 
French.  Siam  is  like  a mouse  before  an  elephant ! Am 
I an  absolute  monarch  ? What  shall  you  consider  me  ? ” 

Now,  as  I considered  him  a particularly  absolute  and 
despotic  king,  that  was  a trying  question  ; so  I discreetly 
held  my  peace,  fearing  less  to  be  classed  with  those  ob- 
noxious savans  who  compile  geographies  than  to  provoke 
him  afresh. 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION. 


2G5 


“ I Lave  no  power,”  lie  scolded  ; “ I am  not  abso- 
lute ! If  I point  the  end  of  my  walking-stick  at  a man 
whom,  being  my  enemy,  I wish  to  die,  he  does  not  die, 
but  lives  on,  in  spite  of  my  ‘ absolute  ’ will  to  the  con- 
trary. What  does  Geographies  mean  ? How  can  I be  an 
absolute  monarchy  ? ” 

Such  a conversation  we  were  having  one  day  as  he  “ as- 
sisted ” at  the  founding  of  a temple  ; and  while  he  re- 
proached his  fate  that  he  was  powerless  to  “ point  the  end 
of  his  walking-stick”  with  absolute  power  at  the  peppery 
and  presumptuous  Monsieur  Aubaret,  he  vacantly  flung 
gold  and  silver  coins  among  the  work-women. 

In  another  moment  he  forgot  all  French  encroachments, 
and  the  imbecility  of  geographers  in  general,  as  his 
glance  chanced  to  fall  upon  a young  woman  of  fresh 
and  striking  beauty,  and  delightful  piquancy  of  ways 
and  expression,  who  with  a clumsy  club  was  pounding 
fragments  of  pottery  — urns,  vases,  and  goglets  — for  the 
foundation  of  the  watt.  Very  artless  and  happy  she 
seemed,  and  free  as  she  was  lovely ; but  the  instant  she 
perceived  she  had  attracted  the  notice  of  the  king,  she 
sank  down  and  hid  her  face  in  the  earth,  forgetting  or 
disregarding  the  falling  vessels  that  threatened  to  crush  or 
wound  her.  But  the  king  merely  diverted  himself  with 
inquiring  her  name  and  parentage ; and  some  one  an- 
swering for  her,  he  turned  away. 

Almost  to  the  latest  hour  of  his  life  his  Majesty  suf- 
fered, in  his  morbid  egotism,  various  and  keen  annoyance, 
by  reason  of  his  sensitiveness  to  the  opinions  of  foreign- 
ers, the  encroachments  of  foreign  officials,  and  the  strict- 
ures of  the  foreign  press.  He  was  agitated  by  a restless 
craving  for  their  sympathy  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  a 
futile  resentment  of  their  criticisms  or  their  claims  on  the 
other. 

An  article  in  a Singapore  paper  had  administered  moral 

12 


266 


THE  SUPREME  KING  : 


correction  to  liis  Majesty  on  the  strength  of  a rumor  that 
“ the  king  has  his  eye  upon  another  princess  of  the  high- 
est rank,  with  a view  to  constituting  her  a queen  consort.” 
And  the  Bangkok  Recorder  had  said  : “ Now,  considering 
that  he  is  full  threescore  and  three  years  of  age,  that  he 
has  already  scores  of  concubines  and  about  fourscore  sons 
and  daughters,  with  several  Chowfas  among  them,  and 
hence  eligible  to  the  highest  posts  of  honor  in  the  king- 
dom, this  rumor  seems  too  monstrous  to  be  credited.  But 
the  truth  is,  there  is  scarcely  anything  too  monstrous  for 
the  royal  polygamy  of  Siam  to  bring  forth.”  By  the  light 
of  this  explanation  the  meaning  of  the  following  extract 
from  the  postscript  of  a letter  which  the  king  wrote  in 
April,  1866,  will  be  clear  to  the  reader,  who,  at  the  same 
time,  in  justice  to  me,  will  remember  that  by  the  death 
of  his  Majesty,  on  the  1st  of  October,  1868,  the  seal  of 
secrecy  was  broken. 

“Very  Private  Post  Script. 

“ There  is  a newspaper  of  Singapore  entitled  Daily 
News  just  published  after  last  arrival  of  the  steamer 
Chowphya  in  Singapore,  in  which  paper,  a correspondence 
from  an  Individual  resident  at  Bangkok  dated  16th  March 
1866  was  shown,  but  I have  none  of  that  paper  in  my 

possession I did  not  noticed  its  number  & date  to 

state  to  you  now,  but  I trust  such  the  paper  must  be  in 
hand  of  several  foreigners  in  Bangkok,  may  you  have  read 
it  perhaps  — other  wise  you  can  obtain  the  same  from 
any  one  or  by  order  to  obtain  from  Singapore ; after  pe- 
rusal thereof  you  will  not  be  able  to  deny  my  statement 
forementioned  more  over  as  general  people  both  native  & 
foreigners  here  seem  to  have  less  pleasure  on  me  & my 
descendant,  than  their  pleasure  and  hope  on  other  amiable 
family  to  them  until  the  present  day. 

“ What  was  said  there  in  for  a princess  considered  by 


HIS  CHARACTER  AND  ADMINISTRATION.  207 

the  Speaker  or  Writer  as  proper  or  suitable  to  be  head 
on  my  liarcm  (a  room  or  part  for  confinement  of  Women 
of  Eastern  monarch  *)  there  is  no  least  intention  occurred 
to  me  even  once  or  in  my  dream  indeed ! I think  if  I do 
so,  I will  die  soon  perhaps  ! 

“ This  my  handwriting  or  content  hereof  shall  be  kept 
secretly. 

“ I beg  to  remain 

“ Your  faithful  & well-wisher 

“ S.  P.  P.  M.  Mongkut  R S. 

“ on  5441th  day  of  reign. 

“ the  writer  here  of  beg  to  place  his  confidence  on  you 
alway.” 

As  a true  friend  to  his  Majesty,  I deplore  the  weakness 
which  betrayed  him  into  so  transparent  a sham  of  virtu- 
ous indignation.  The  “princess  of  the  highest  rank,” 
whom  the  writer  of  the  article  plainly  meant,  was  the 
Princess  of  Chiengmai ; but  from  lack  of  accurate  infor- 
mation he  was  misled  into  confounding  her  with  the 
Princess  Tui  Duang  Prablia,  his  Majesty’s  niece.  The 
king  could  honestly  deny  any  such  intention  on  his  part 
with  regard  to  his  niece ; but,  at  the  same  time,  he  well 
knew  that  the  writer  erred  only  as  to  the  individual,  and 
not  as  to  the  main  fact  of  the  case.  The  Princess  of 
Chiengmai  was  the  wife,  and  the  Princess  Tui  Duang 
the  daughter,  of  his  full  brother,  the  Second  King,  lately 
deceased. 

Much  more  agreeable  is  it  — to  the  reader,  T doubt  not, 
not  less  than  to  the  writer  — to  turn  from  the  king,  in 
the  exercise  of  his  slavish  function  of  training  honest 
words  to  play  the  hypocrite  for  ignoble  thoughts,  to  the 


A parenthetical  drollery  inspired  by  the  dictionary. 


2G8 


TIIE  SUPREME  KING. 


gentleman,  tlie  friend,  the  father,  giving  his  heart  a holi- 
day in  the  relaxations  of  simple  kindness  and  free  affec- 
tion, — as  in  the  following  note  : — 

“ Dated  Ranchaxjpury  34th  February  1865. 

“ To  Lady  L & her  son  Luise,  Bangkok. 

“ We  having  very  pleasant  journey  ....  to  be  here 
which  is  a township  called  as  above  named  by  men  of 
republick  affairs  in  Siam,  & called  by  common  people  as 
‘ Parkphrieck  ’ where  we  have  our  stay  a few  days.  & will 
take  our  departure  from  hence  at  dawn  of  next  day.  We 
thinking  of  you  both  regardlully  & beg  to  send  here 
witli  some  wild  aples  & harries  which  are  delicate  for 
tasting  & some  tobacco  which  were  and  are  principal  prod- 
uct of  this  region  for  your  kind  acceptance  hoping  this 
wild  present  will  be  acceptable  to  you  both. 

“We  will  be  arrived  at  our  home  Bangkok  on  early 
part  of  March. 

“ We  beg  to  remain 

“ Your  faithful 

“ S.  P.  P.  M.  Mongkut  R.  S. 

“ in  5035th  day  of  reign. 

“ And  your  affectionate  pupils 

“Ying  Yulacks.  Maneabhadahorn. 

Somdetcii  Chowfa  Chulalonkorn*  Kritahinihar. 

Prabhassor.  Somawati.” 


The  present  king. 


XXVII. 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 

IN  1864  I found  that  my  labors  had  greatly  increased; 

I had  often  to  work  till  ten  o’clock  at  night  to  ac- 
complish the  endless  translations  required  of  me.  I also 
began  to  perceive  how  continually  and  closely  I was 
watched,  but  how  and  by  whom  it  seemed  impossible  to 
discover.  Among  the  inducements  to  me  to  accept  the 
position  of  teacher  to  the  royal  family  was  his  Majesty’s 
assurance,  that,  if  I gave  satisfaction,  he  would  increase 
my  salary  after  a year’s  trial.  Nearly  three  years  had 
passed  when  I first  ventured  to  remind  the  king  of  this 
promise.  To  my  astonishment  he  bluntly  informed  me 
that  I had  not  given  satisfaction,  that  I was  “ difficult  ” 
and  unmanageable,  “ more  careful  about  what  was  right 
and  what  was  wrong  than  for  the  obedience  and  submis- 
sion.” And  as  to  salary,  he  continued : “ Why  you  should 
be  poor  ? You  come  into  my  presence  every  day  with 
some  petition,  some  case  of  hardship  or  injustice,  and  you 
demand  ‘ your  Majesty  shall  most  kindly  investigate,  and 
cause  redress  to  be  made  ’ ; and  I have  granted  to  you 
because  you  are  important  to  me  for  translations,  and 
so  forth.  And  now  you  declare  you  must  have  increase 
of  salary  ! Must  you  have  everything  in  this  world  ? 
Why  you  do  not  make  them  pay  you?  If  I grant  you 
all  your  petition  for  the  poor,  you  ought  to  be  rich,  or  you 
have  no  wisdom.” 

At  a loss  what  answer  to  make  to  this  very  unsympa- 


270 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


tlietic  view  of  my  conduct,  I quietly  returned  to  my 
duties,  which  grew  daily  in  variety  and  responsibility. 
What  with  translating,  correcting,  copying,  dictating, 
reading,  I had  hardly  a moment  I could  call  my  own ; 
and  if  at  any  time  I rebelled,  I brought  down  swift  ven- 
geance on  the  head  of  the  helpless  native  secretary. 

But  it  was  my  consolation  to  know  that  I could  befriend 
the  women  and  children  of  the  palace,  who,  when  they  saw 
that  I was  not  afraid  to  oppose  the  king  in  his  more  out- 
rageous caprices  of  tyranny,  imagined  me  endued  with 
supernatural  powers,  and  secretly  came  to  me  with  their 
grievances,  in  full  assurance  that  sooner  or  later  I would  see 
them  redressed.  And  so,  with  no  intention  on  my  part, 
and  almost  without  my  own  consent,  I suffered  myself  to 
be  set  up  between  the  oppressor  and  the  oppressed.  From 
that  time  I had  no  peace.  Day  after  day  I was  called  upon 
to  resist  the  wanton  cruelty  of  judges  and  magistrates, 
till  at  last  I found  myself  at  feud  with  the  whole  “ San 
Luang.”  In  cases  of  torture,  imprisonment,  extortion,  I 
tried  again  and  again  to  excuse  myself  from  interfering, 
but  still  the  mothers  or  sisters  prevailed,  and  I had  no 
choice  left  but  to  try  to  help  them.  Sometimes  I sent 
Boy  with  my  clients,  sometimes  I went  myself ; and  in  no 
single  instance  was  justice  granted  from  a sense  of  right, 
but  always  through  fear  of  my  supposed  influence  with 
the  king.  My  Siamese  and  European  friends  said  I was 
amassing  a fortune.  It  seemed  not  worth  my  while  to 
contradict  them,  though  the  inference  was  painful  to  me, 
for  in  truth  my  championship  was  not  purely  disinter- 
ested ; I suffered  from  continual  contact  with  the  suffer- 
ings of  others,  and  came  to  the  rescue  in  self-defence  and 
in  pity  for  myself  not  less  than  for  them. 

A Chinaman  had  been  cruelly  murdered  and  robbed  by 
a favorite  slave  in  the  household  of  the  prime  minister’s 
brother,  leaving  the  brother,  wife,  and  children  of  the  vie- 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  TIIE  PALACE. 


271 


tim  in  helpless  poverty  and  terror.  The  murderer  had 
screened  himself  and  his  accomplices  by  sharing  the 
plunder  with  his  master.  The  widow  cried  for  redress 
in  vain.  The  ears  of  magistrates  were  stopped  against 
her,  and  she  was  too  poor  to  pay  her  way  ; but  still  she 
went  from  one  court  to  another,  until  her  importunity  irri- 
tated the  judges,  who,  to  intimidate  her,  seized  her  eldest 
son,  on  some  monstrous  pretext,  and  cast  him  into  prison. 
This  double  cruelty  completed  the  despair  of  the  unhappy 
mother.  She  came  to  me  fairly  frenzied,  and  “ com- 
manded ” me  to  go  at  once  into  the  presence  of  the  king 
and  demand  her  stolen  child ; and  then,  in  a sudden  par- 
oxysm of  grief,  she  embraced  my  knees,  wailing,  and  pray- 
ing to  me  to  help  her.  It  was  not  in  human  nature  to 
reject  that  maternal  claim.  With  no  little  trouble  I pro- 
cured the  liberation  of  her  son  ; but  to  keep  him  out  of 
harm’s  way  I had  to  take  him  into  my  own  home  and 
change  his  name.  I called  him  Timothy,  which  by  a 
Chinese  abbreviation  became  Ti. 

When  I went  with  this  woman  and  the  brother  of  the 
murdered  man  to  the  palace  of  the  premier,  we  found 
that  distinguished  personage  half  naked  and  playing 
chess.  Seeing  me  enter,  he  ordered  one  of  his  slaves  to 
bring  him  a jacket,  into  which  he  thrust  his  arms,  and 
went  on  with  the  game;  and  not  until  that  was  finished 
did  he  attend  to  me.  When  I explained  my  errand  he 
seemed  vexed,  but  sent  for  his  brother,  had  a long  talk 
with  him,  and  concluded  by  warning  my  unhappy  proteges 
that  if  he  heard  any  more  complaints  from  them  they 
should  be  flogged.  Then  turning  to  me  with  a grim  smile, 
he  said : “ Chinee  too  much  bother.  Good  by,  sir  ! ” 

This  surprised  me  exceedingly,  for  I had  often  known 
the  premier  to  award  justice  in  spite  of  the  king.  That 
same  evening,  as  I sat  alone  in  my  drawing-room,  making 
notes,  as  was  my  custom,  I heard  a slight  noise,  as  of  some 


272 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


one  in  the  room.  Looking  round,  I saw,  to  my  amazement, 
one  of  the  inferior  judges  of  the  prime  minister’s  court 
crouching  by  the  piano.  I asked  how  he  dared  to  enter  my 
house  unannounced.  “ Mam,”  said  he,  “ your  servants 
admitted  me ; they  know  from  whom  I come,  and  would 
not  venture  to  refuse  me.  And  now  it  is  for  you  to  know 
that  I am  here  from  his  Excellency  Chow  Phya  Krala- 
liome,  to  request  you  to  send  in  your  resignation  at  the 
end  of  this  month.” 

“ By  what  authority  does  he  send  me  this  message  ? ” I 
asked. 

“ I know  not ; but  it  were  best  that  you  obey.” 

“ Tell  him,”  I replied,  unable  to  control  my  anger  at  the 
cowardly  trick  to  intimidate  me,  “ I shall  leave  Siam  when 
I please,  and  that  no  man  shall  set  the  time  for  me.” 

The  man  departed,  cringing  and  crouching,  and  excus- 
ing himself.  This  was  the  same  wretch  at  whose  instiga- 
tion  poor  Moonshee  had  been  so  shamefully  beaten. 

I did  not  close  my  eyes  that  night.  Again  and  again 
prudence  advised  me  to  seek  safety  in  flight , but  the 
argument  ended  in  my  turning  my  back  on  the  timid 
monitor,  and  resolving  to  stay. 

About  three  weeks  after  this  occurrence,  his  Majesty 
was  going  on  an  excursion  “ up  country,”  and  as  he  wished 
me  to  accompany  my  pupils,  the  prime  minister  was  re- 
quired to  prepare  a cabin  for  me  and  my  boy  on  his 
steamer,  the  Volant.  Before  we  left  the  palace  one  of 
my  anxious  friends  made  me  promise  her  that  I would 
partake  of  no  food  nor  taste  a drop  of  wine  on  board  the 
steamer,  — an  injunction  in  the  sequel  easy  to  fulfil,  as 
our  wants  were  amply  provided  for  at  the  Grand  Palace, 
where  we  spent  the  whole  day.  But  I cite  this  inci- 
dent to  show  the  state  of  mind  which  led  me  to  prolong 
my  stay,  hateful  as  it  had  become. 

After  this,  affairs  in  the  royal  household  went  smoothly 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


273 


enough  for  some  time  ; but  still  my  tasks  increased,  and 
my  health  began  to  fail.  When  I informed  his  Majesty 
that  I needed  at  least  a month  of  rest,  and  that  I thought 
of  making  a trip  to  Singapore,  he  was  so  unwilling  that 
I should  rate  highly  the  services  I rendered  him,  that 
he  was  careful  to  assure  me  I had  not  “favored”  him 
in  any  way,  nor  given  him  satisfaction ; and  that  if  I 
must  be  idle  for  a month,  he  certainly  should  not  pay  me 
for  the  time ; and  he  kept  his  word.  Nevertheless,  while 
1 was  at  Singapore  he  wrote  to  me  most  kindly,  assuring 
me  that  his  wives  and  children  were  anxious  for  my  re- 
turn. 

After  the  sad  death  of  the  dear  little  princess,  Chow 
Fa-ying,  the  king  had  become  more  cordial;  but  the  labor 
he  imposed  upon  me  was  in  proportion  to  the  confidence 
he  reposed  in  me.  At  times  he  required  of  me  services, 
in  my  capacity  of  secretary,  not  to  be  thought  of  by  a 
European  sovereign  ; and  when  I declined  to  perform  them, 
he  would  curse  me,  close  the  gates  of  the  palace  against 
me,  and  even  subject  me  to  the  insults  and  threats  of  the 
parasites  and  slaves  who  crawled  about  his  feet.  On  two 
occasions  — first  for  refusing  to  write  a false  letter  to  Sir 
John  Bowring,  now  Plenipotentiary  for  the  Court  of 
Siam  in  England ; and  again  for  declining  to  address  the 
Earl  of  Clarendon  in  relation  to  a certain  British  officer 
then  in  Siam  — he  threatened  to  have  me  tried  at  the  Brit- 
ish Consulate,  and  was  so  violent  that  I was  in  real  fear  for 
my  life.  For  three  days  I waited,  with  doors  and  win- 
dows barred,  for  I knew  not  what  explosion. 

After  the  death  of  the  Second  King,  his  Majesty  be- 
haved very  disgracefully.  It  was  well  known  that  the 
ladies  of  the  prince’s  harem  were  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
the  women  of  Laos,  Pegu,  and  Birmah ; above  all,  the 
Princess  of  Chiengmai  was  famed  for  her  manifold  graces 
of  person  and  character.  Etiquette  forbade  the  royal 


274 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


brothers  to  pry  into  the  constitution  of  each  other’s 
sdrail,  but  by  means  most  unworthy  of  his  station,  and 
regardless  of  the  privilege  of  his  brother,  Maha  Mongkut 
had  learned  of  the  acquisition  to  the  subordinate  king’s 
establishment  of  this  celebrated  and  coveted  beauty  ; and 
although  she  was  now  his  legitimate  sister-in-law,  pri- 
vately married  to  the  prince,  he  was  not  restrained  by 
any  scruple  of  morality  or  delicacy  from  manifesting  his 
jealousy  and  pique*  Moreover,  this  disgraceful  feeling 
was  fostered  by  other  considerations  than  those  of  mere 
sensuality  or  ostentation.  Her  father,  the  tributary  ruler 
of  Chiengmai,  had  on  several  occasions  confronted  his 
aggressive  authority  with  a haughty  and  intrepid  spirit ; 
and  once,  when  Maha  Mongkut  required  that  he  should 
send  his  eldest  son  to  Bangkok  as  a hostage  for  the 
father’s  loyalty  and  good  conduct,  the  unterrified  chief 
replied  that  he  would  be  his  own  hostage.  On  the  sum- 
mons being  repeated  in  imperative  terms,  the  young 
prince  fled  from  his  father’s  court  and  took  refuge  with 
the  Second  King  in  his  stronghold  of  Ban  Sitha,  where  he 
wras  most  courteously  received  and  entertained  until  he 
found  it  expedient  to  seek  some  securer  or  less  compro- 
mising place  of  refuge. 

The  friendship  thus  founded  between  two  proud  and 
daring  princes  soon  became  strong  and  enduring,  and  re- 
sulted in  the  marriage  of  the  Princess  Sunartha  Vismita 
(very  willingly  on  her  part)  to  the  Second  King,  about  a 
year  before  his  death. 

The  son  of  the  King  of  Chiengmai  never  made  his  ap- 
pearance at  the  court  of  Siam ; but  the  stout  old  chief, 
attended  by  trusty  followers,  boldly  brought  his  own 
“ hostage  ” thither ; and  Maha  Mongkut,  though  secretly 
chafing,  accepted  the  situation  with  a show  of  gracious- 
ness, and  overlooked  the  absence  of  the  younger  vassal. 

* See  portrait,  Chap.  XXV. 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


275 


With  the  remembrance  of  these  floutings  still  galling 
him,  the  Supreme  King  frequently  repaired  to  the  Second 
King’s  palace  on  the  pretext  of  arranging  certain  “ family 
affairs  ” intrusted  to  him  by  his  late  brother,  but  in  real- 
ity to  acquaint  himself  with  the  charms  of  several  female 
members  of  the  prince’s  household ; and,  scandalous  as  it 
should  have  seemed  even  to  Siamese  notions  of  the  divine 
right  of  kings,  the  most  attractive  and  accomplished  of 
those  women  were  quietly  transferred  to  his  own  harem. 
For  some  time  I heard  nothing  more  of  the  Princess  of 
Chiengmai ; but  it  was  curious,  even  amusing,  to  observe 
the  serene  contempt  with  which  the  “ interlopers  ” were 
received  by  the  rival  incumbents  of  the  royal  gynecium, 
— especially  the  Laotian  women,  who  are  of  a finer  type 
and  much  handsomer  than  their  Siamese  sisters. 

Meantime  his  Majesty  took  up  his  abode  for  a fort- 
night at  the  Second  King’s  palace,  thereby  provoking  dan- 
gerous gossip  in  his  own  establishment ; so  that  his 
“ head  wife,”  the  Lady  Thieng,  even  made  bold  to  hint 
that  he  might  come  to  the  fate  of  his  brother,  and  die 
by  slow  poison.  His  harem  was  agitated  and  excited 
throughout,  — some  of  the  women  abandoning  themselves 
to  unaccustomed  and  unnatural  gayety,  while  others  sent 
their  confidential  slaves  to  consult  the  astrologers  and 
soothsayers  of  the  court ; and  by  the  aid  of  significant 
glances  and  shrugging  of  shoulders,  and  interchange  of 
signs  and  whispers,  with  feminine  telegraphy  and  secret 
service,  most  of  those  interested  arrived  at  the  sage  con- 
clusion that  their  lord  had  fallen  under  the  spells  of  a 
witch  or  enchantress. 

Such  was  the  domestic  situation  when  his  Majesty 
suddenly  and  without  warning  returned  to  his  palace,  but 
in  a mood  so  perplexing  as  to  surpass  all  precedent  and 
baffle  all  tact.  I had  for  some  time  performed  with  sur- 
prising success  a leading  part  in  a pretty  little  court  play. 


276 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


of  ■which  the  well-meant  plot  had  been  devised  by  the 
Lady  Thieng.  Whenever  the  king  should  be  dangerously 
enraged,  and  ready  to  let  loose  upon  some  tender  culprit 
of  the  harem  the  monstrous  lash  or  chain,  I — at  a secret 
cue  from  the  head  wife  — was  to  enter  upon  his  Majesty, 
book  in  hand,  to  consult  his  infallibility  in  a pressing 
predicament  of  translation  into  Sanskrit,  Siamese,  or 
English.  Absurdly  transparent  as  it  was,  — perhaps  the 
happier  for  its  very  childishness,  — under  cover  of  this 
naive  device  from  time  to  time  a hapless  girl  escaped  the 
fatal  burst  of  his  wrath.  Midway  in  the  rising  storm  of 
curses  and  abuse  he  would  turn  with  comical  abruptness 
to  the  attractive  interruption  with  all  the  zest  of  a 
scholar.  I often  trembled  lest  he  should  see  through  the 
thinly  covered  trick,  but  he  never  did.  On  his  return 
from  the  prince’s  palace,  however,  even  this  innocent 
stratagem  failed  us ; and  on  one  occasion  of  my  having 
recourse  to  it  he  peremptorily  ordered  me  away,  and  for- 
bade my  coming  into  his  presence  again  unless  sent  for. 
Daily,  after  this,  one  or  more  of  the  women  suffered  from 
his  petty  tyranny,  cruelty,  and  spite.  On  every  hand  I 
heard  sighs  and  sobs  from  young  and  old ; and  not  a 
woman  there  but  believed  he  was  bewitched  and  beside 
himself. 

I had  struggled  through  many  exacting  tasks  since  I 
came  to  Siam,  but  never  any  that  so  taxed  my  powers  of 
endurance  as  my  duties  at  this  time,  in  my  double  office 
of  governess  and  private  secretary  to  his  Majesty.  His 
moods  were  so  fickle  and  unjust,  his  temper  so  tyrannical, 
that  it  seemed  impossible  to  please  him ; from  one  hour 
to  another  I never  knew  what  to  expect.  And  yet  he 
persevered  in  his  studies,  especially  in  his  English  cor- 
respondence, which  was  ever  his  solace,  his  pleasure,  and 
his  pride.  To  an  interested  observer  it  might  have  af- 
forded rare  entertainment  to  note  how  fluently,  though 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


277 


oddly,  he  spoke  and  wrote  in  a foreign  language,  but  for 
his  caprices,  which  at  times  were  so  ridiculous,  how- 
ever, as  to  be  scarcely  disagreeable.  He  would  indite 
letters,  sign  them,  affix  his  seal,  and  despatch  them  in  his 
own  mail-bags  to  Europe,  America,  or  elsewhere ; and, 
months  afterward,  insist  on  my  writing  to  the  parties  ad- 
dressed, to  say  that  the  instructions  they  contained  were 
my  mistake,  — errors  of  translation,  transcription,  any- 
thing but  his  intention.  In  one  or  two  instances,  finding 
that  the  case  really  admitted  of  explanation  or  apology 
from  his  Majesty,  I slyly  so  worded  my  letter,  that,  with- 
out compromising  him,  I yet  managed  to  repair  the  mis- 
chief he  had  done.  But  I felt  this  could  not  continue 
long.  Always,  on  foreign-mail  days,  I spent  from  eight 
to  ten  hours  in  this  most  delicate  and  vexatious  work. 
At  length  the  crash  came. 

The  king  had  promised  to  Sir  John  Bowring  the  ap- 
pointment of  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of  France,  to 
negotiate,  on  behalf  of  Siam,  new  treaties  concerning  the 
Cambodian  possessions.  With  characteristic  irresolution 
he  changed  his  mind,  and  decided  to  send  a Siamese 
Embassy,  headed  by  his  Lordship  P’hra  Nall  Why,  now 
known  as  his  Excellency  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury-wongse. 
No  sooner  had  he  entertained  this  fancy  than  he  sent  for 
me,  and  coolly  directed  me  to  write  and  explain  the  matter 
to  Sir  John,  if  possible  attributing  his  new  views  and  pur- 
pose to  the  advice  of  her  Britannic  Majesty’s  Consul ; or, 
if  I had  scruples  on  that  head,  I might  say  the  advice 
was  my  own,  — or  “anything  I liked,”  so  that  I justified 
his  conduct. 

At  this  distance  of  time  I cannot  clearly  recall  all  the 
effect  upon  my  feelings  of  so  outrageous  a proposition ; 
but  I do  remember  that  I found  myself  emphatically  de- 
clining to  do  “ anything  of  the  kind.”  Then,  warned  by 
his  gathering  rage,  I added  that  I would  express  to  Sir 


278 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


John  his  Majesty’s  regrets,  hut  to  attribute  the  blame  to 
those  'who  had  had  no  part  in  the  matter,  that  I could  never 
do.  At  this  his  fury  was  grotesque.  His  talent  for  in- 
vective was  always  formidable,  and  he  tried  to  overpower 
me  with  threats.  But  a kindred  spirit  of  resistance  was 
aroused  in  me.  I withdrew  from  the  palace,  and  patiently 
abided  the  issue,  resolved,  in  any  event,  to  be  firm. 

His  Majesty’s  anger  was  without  hounds;  and  in  the 
interval  so  fraught  with  anxiety  and  apprehension  to  me, 
when  I knew  that  a considerable  party  in  the  palace  — 
judges,  magistrates,  and  officers  about  the  person  of  the 
king  — regarded  me  as  an  eminently  proper  person  to  be- 
head or  drown,  he  condescended  to  accuse  me  of  abstract- 
ing a hook  that  he  chanced  just  then  to  miss  from  his 
library,  and  also  of  honoring  and  favoring  the  British 
Consul  at  the  expense  of  his  American  colleague,  then 
resident  at  Bangkok.  In  support  of  the  latter  charge,  he 
alleged  that  I had  written  the  American  Consul’s  name  at 
the  bottom  of  a royal  circular,  after  carefully  displaying 
my  own  and  the  British  functionary’s  at  the  top  of  it. 

The  circular  in  question,  which  had  given  just  umbrage 
to  the  American  official,  was  fortunately  in  the  keeping 
of  the  Honorable  * Mr.  Bush,  and  was  written  by  the 
king’s  own  hand,  as  was  well  known  to  all  whom  it  con- 
cerned. These  charges,  with  others  of  a more  frivolous 
nature,  — such  as  disobeying,  thwarting,  scolding  his  Ma- 
jesty, treating  him  with  disrespect,  as  by  standing  while 
he  was  seated,  thinking  evil  of  him,  slandering  him,  and 
calling  him  wicked,  — the  king  caused  to  be  reduced  to 
writing  and  sent  to  me,  with  an  intimation  that  I must 
forthwith  acknowledge  my  ingratitude  and  guilt,  and  make 
atonement  by  prompt  compliance  with  his  wishes.  The 
secretary  who  brought  the  document  to  my  house  was  ac- 
companied by  a number  of  the  female  slaves  of  the  pal- 


Here  the  title  is  Siamese. 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  FA  LACE. 


279 


ace,  who  besought  me,  in  the  name  of  their  mistresses, 
the  wives  of  the  “ Celestial  Supreme,”  to  yield,  and  do  all 
that  might  be  required  of  me. 

Seeing  this  shaft  miss  its  mark,  the  secretary,  being  a 
man  of  resources,  produced  the  other  string  to  his  bow. 
He  offered  to  bribe  me,  and  actually  spent  two  hours  in 
that  respectable  business  ; but  finally  departed  in  despair, 
convinced  that  the  amount  was  inadequate  to  the  cupidity 
of  an  insatiable  European,  and  mourning  for  himself  that 
he  must  return  discomfited  to  the  king. 

Next  morning,  my  boy  and  I presented  ourselves  as 
usual  at  the  inner  gate  of  the  palace  leading  to  the 
school,  and  were  confronted  there  by  a party  of  rude  fel- 
lows and  soldiers,  who  thrust  us  back  with  threats,  and 
even  took  up  stones  to  throw  at  us.  I dare  not  think 
what  might  have  been  our  fate,  but  for  the  generous  res- 
cue of  a crowd  of  the  poorest  slaves,  who  at  that  hour 
were  waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  gate.  These  rallied 
round  us,  and  guarded  us  back  to  our  home.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a time  of  terror  for  us.  I felt  that  my  life  was  in 
great  danger ; and  so  difficult  did  I find  it  to  prevent  the 
continual  intrusion  of  the  rabble,  both  men  and  women, 
into  my  house,  that  I had  at  length  to  bar  my  doors  and 
windows,  and  have  double  locks  and  fastenings  added.  I 
became  nervous  and  excited  as  I had  never  been  before. 

My  first  impulse  was  to  write  to  the  British  Consul 
and  invoke  his  protection ; but  that  looked  cowardly. 
Nevertheless,  I did  prepare  the  letter,  ready  to  be  de- 
spatched at  the  first  attempt  upon  our  lives  or  liberty.  I 
wrote  also  to  Mr.  Bush,  asking  him  to  find  without  delay 
the  obnoxious  circular,  and  bring  it  to  my  house.  He 
came  that  very  evening,  the  paper  in  his  hand.  With  in- 
finite difficulty  I persuaded  the  native  secretary,  whom  I 
had  again  and  again  befriended  in  like  extremities,  to  pro- 
cure for  him  an  audience  with  the  king. 


280 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


On  coming  into  the  presence  of  his  Majesty,  Mr.  Bush 
simply  handed  him  the  circular,  saying,  “ Mam  tells  me 
you  wish  to  see  this.”  The  moment  the  caption  of  the 
document  met  his  eye,  his  Majesty’s  countenance  assumed 
a blank,  bewildered  expression  peculiar  to  it,  and  he 
seemed  to  look  to  my  friend  for  an  explanation  ; hut  that 
gentleman  had  none  to  offer,  for  I had  made  none  to  him. 

And  to  crown  all,  even  as  the  king  was  pointing  to  his 
brow  to  signify  that  he  had  forgotten  having  written  it, 
one  of  the  little  princesses  came  crouching  and  crawling 
into  the  room  with  the  missing  volume  in  her  hand.  It 
had  been  found  in  one  of  the  numerous  sleeping-apart- 
ments of  the  king,  beside  his  pillow,  just  in  time  ! 

Mr.  Bush  soon  returned,  bringing  me  assurances  of  his 
Majesty’s  cordial  reconciliation ; but  I still  doubted  his 
sincerity,  and  for  weeks  did  not  offer  to  enter  the  palace. 
When,  however,  on  the  arrival  of  the  Chow  Phya  steamer 
with  the  mail,  I was  formally  summoned  by  the  king  to 
return  to  my  duties,  I quietly  obeyed,  making  no  allusion 
to  my  “ bygones.” 

As  I sat  at  my  familiar  table,  copying,  his  Majesty  ap- 
proached, and  addressed  me  in  these  words : — 

“ Mam ! you  are  one  great  difficulty.  I have  much 
pleasure  and  favor  on  you,  but  you  are  too  obstinate. 
You  are  not  wise.  Wherefore  are  you  so  difficult  ? You 
are  only  a woman.  It  is  very  bad  you  can  be  so  strong- 
headed. Will  you  now  have  any  objection  to  write  to  Sir 
J ohn,  and  tell  him  I am  his  very  good  friend  ? ” 

“ None  whatever,”  I replied,  “ if  it  is  to  be  simply  a 
letter  of  good  wishes  on  the  part  of  your  Majesty.” 

I wrote  the  letter,  and  handed  it  to  him  for  perusal. 
He  was  hardly  satisfied,  for  with  only  a significant  grunt 
he  returned  it  to  me,  and  left  the  apartment  at  once,  — to 
vent  his  spite  on  some  one  who  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  matter. 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  TIIE  PALACE. 


281 


In  clue  time  the  following  very  considerate  but  signifi- 
cant reply  (addressed  to  his  Majesty’s  “ one  great  difficul- 
ty ”)  was  received  from  Sir  John  Bowring  : — 

Claremont,  Exeter,  30  June,  1867. 

Dear  Madam:  — Your  letter  of  12th  May  demands 
from  me  the  attention  of  a courteous  reply.  I am  quite 
sure  the  ancient  friendship  of  the  King  of  Siam  would 
never  allow  a slight,  or  indeed  an  unkindness,  to  me  ; and 
I hope  to  have  opportunities  of  showing  his  Majesty  that 
I feel  a deep  interest  in  his  welfare. 

As  regards  the  diplomacy  of  European  courts,  it  is  but 
natural  that  those  associated  with  them  should  be  more 
at  home,  and  better  able  to  direct  their  course,  than 
strangers  from  a distance,  however  personally  estimable  ; 
and  though,  in  the  case  in  question,  the  mission  of  a Siam- 
ese Ambassador  to  Paris  was  no  doubt  well  intended,  and 
could  never  have  been  meant  to  give  me  annoyance,  it 
was  not  to  be  expected  he  would  be  placed  in  that  posi- 
tion of  free  and  confidential  intercourse  which  my  long 
acquaintance  with  public  life  would  enable  me  to  occupy. 
In  remote  regions,  people  with  little  knowledge  of  official 
matters  in  high  quarters  often  take  upon  themselves  to 
give  advice  in  great  ignorance  of  facts,  and  speak  very 
unadvisedly  on  topics  on  which  their  opinions  are  worth- 
less and  their  influence  valueless. 

As  regards  M.  Aubaret’s  offensive  proceedings,  I doubt 
not  he  has  received  a caittion  * on  my  representation,  and 
that  he,  and  others  of  his  nation,  would  not  be  very  will- 
ing that  the  Emperor  — an  old  acquaintance  of  mine  — 
should  hear  from  my  lips  what  I might  have  to  say.  The 
will  of  the  Emperor  is  supreme,  and  I am  afraid  the 
Cambodian  question  is  now  referred  back  to  Siam.  It 

* '’Uiarot.  French  Consul  at  Bangkok,  whose  overbearing  conduct  has 
been  ucocribcd  elsewhere. 


282 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  TIIE  PALACE. 


might  have  been  better  for  me  to  have  discussed  it  with 
his  Imperial  Majesty.  However,  the  past  is  past.  Per- 
sonal influence,  as  you  are  aware,  is  not  transferable  ; but 
when  by  the  proper  powers  I am  placed  in  a position  to 
act,  his  Majesty  may  be  assured  — as  I have  assured  him- 
self— that  his  interests  will  not  suffer  in  my  hands. 

I am  obliged  to  you  for  the  manner  in  which  you  have 
conveyed  to  me  his  Majesty’s  gracious  expressions 

And  you  will  believe  me  to  be 

Yours  very  truly, 

John  Bowring. 

No  friend  of  mine  knew  at  that  time  how  hard  it  was 
for  me  to  bear  up,  in  the  utter  loneliness  and  forlornness 
of  my  life,  under  the  load  of  cares  and  provocations  and 
fears  that  gradually  accumulated  upon  me. 

But  ah  ! if  any  germ  of  love  and  truth  fell  from  my 
heart  into  the  heart  of  even  the  meanest  of  those  wives 
and  concubines  and  children  of  a king,  if  by  any  word 
of  mine  the  least  of  them  was  won  to  look  up,  out  of  the 
depths  of  their  miserable  life,  to  a higher,  clearer,  brighter 
light  than  their  Buddha  casts  upon  their  path,  then  in- 
deed I did  not  labor  in  vain  among  them. 

In  the  summer  of  1806  my  health  suddenly  broke 
down,  and  for  a time,  it  was  thought  that  I must  die. 
When  good  Dr.  Campbell  gave  me  the  solemn  warning 
all  my  trouble  seemed  to  cease,  and  but  for  one  sharp 
pang  for  my  children,  — one  in  England,  the  other  in 
Siam,  — I should  have  derived  pure  and  perfect  pleasure 
from  the  prospect  of  eternal  rest,  so  weary  was  I of  my 
tumultuous  life  in  the  East ; and  though  in  the  end  I re- 
gained my  strength  in  a measure,  I was  no  longer  able  to 
comply  with  the  pitiless  exactions  of  the  king.  And  so, 
yielding  to  the  urgent  entreaties  of  my  friends,  I decided 
to  return  to  England. 


MV  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


283 


It  took  me  half  a year  to  get  his  Majesty’s  consent ; 
and  it  was  not  without  tiresome  accusations  of  ingrati- 
tude and  idleness  that  he  granted  me  leave  of  absence  for 
six  months. 

I had  hardly  courage  to  face  the  women  and  children 
the  day  I told  them  I was  going  away.  It  was  hard  to 
be  with  them ; but  it  seemed  cowardly  to  leave  them. 
For  some  time  most  of  them  refused  to  believe  that  I was 
really  going  ; but  when  they  could  doubt  no  longer,  they 
displayed  the  most  touching  tenderness  and  thoughtful- 
ness. Many  sent  me  small  sums  of  money  to  help  me 
on  the  journey.  The  poorest  and  meanest  slaves  brought 
me  rice  cakes,  dried  beans,  cocoanuts,  and  sugar.  It  was 
in  vain  that  I assured  them  I could  not  carry  such  tilings 
away  with  me ; still  the  supplies  poured  in. 

The  king  himself,  who  had  been  silent  and  sullen  until 
the  morning  of  my  departure,  relented  when  the  time 
came  to  say  good  by.  He  embraced  Boy  with  cordial 
kindness,  and  gave  him  a silver  buckle,  and  a bag  contain- 
ing a hundred  dollars  to  buy  sweetmeats  on  the  way. 
Then  turning  to  me,  he  said  (as  if  forgetting  himself) : 
“ Mam ! you  much  beloved  by  our  common  people,  and 
all  inhabitants  of  palace  and  royal  children.  Every  one 
is  in  affliction  of  your  departure  ; and  even  that  opium- 
eating secretary,  P’hra-Alack,  is  very  low  down  in  his 
heart  because  you  will  go.  It  shall  be  because  you  must 
be  a good  and  true  lady.  I am  often  angry  on  you,  and 
lose  my  temper,  though  I have  large  respect  for  you. 
But  nevertheless  you  ought  to  know  you  are  difficult 
woman,  and  more  difficult  than  generality.  But  you  will 
forget,  and  come  back  to  my  service,  for  I have  more  con- 
fidence on  you  every  day.  Good  by  ! ” I could  not  re- 
ply ; my  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

Then  came  the  parting  with  my  pupils,  the  women  and 
the  children.  That  was  painful  enough,  even  while  the 


284 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  PALACE. 


king  was  present ; but  when  lie  abruptly  withdrew,  great 
was  the  uproar.  What  could  I do,  but  stand  still  and 
submit  to  kisses,  embraces,  reproaches,  from  princesses 
and  slaves  ? At  last  I rushed  through  the  gate,  the  women 
screaming  after  me,  “ Come  back  !”  and  the  children,  “ Don’t 
go ! ” I hurried  to  the  residence  of  the  heir-apparent, 
to  the  most  trying  scene  of  all.  His  regret  seemed  too 
deep  for  words,  and  the  few  he  did  utter  were  very  touch- 
ing. Taking  both  my  hands  and  laying  his  brow  upon 
them,  he  said,  after  a long  interval  of  silence,  “ Mam  cha 
Map  ma  thort  ! ” — “ Mam  dear,  come  back,  please  ! ” 
“ Keep  a brave  and  true  heart,  my  prince!”  was  all  that  I 
could  say ; and  my  last  “ God  bless  you  ! ” was  addressed 
to  the  royal  palace  of  Siam. 

To  this  young  prince,  Chowfa  Chulalonkorn,  I was 
strongly  attached.  He  often  deplored  with  me  the  cruelty 
with  which  the  slaves  were  treated,  and,  young  as  he 
was,  did  much  to  inculcate  kindness  toward  them  among 
his  immediate  attendants.  He  was  a conscientious  lad, 
of  pensive  habit  and  gentle  temper ; many  of  my  poor 
clients  I bequeathed  to  his  care,  particularly  the  Chinese 
lad  Ti.  Speaking  of  slavery  one  day,  he  said  to  me: 
“ These  are  not  slaves,  but  nobles  ; they  know  how  to 
bear.  It  is  we,  the  princes,  who  have  yet  to  learn  which 
is  the  more  noble,  the  oppressor  or  the  oppressed.” 

When  I left  the  palace  the  king  was  fast  failing  in 
body  and  mind,  and,  in  spite  of  his  seeming  vigor,  there 
was  no  real  health  in  his  rule,  while  he  had  his  own  way. 
All  the  substantial  success  we  find  in  his  administration  is 
due  to  the  ability  and  energy  of  his  accomplished  premier, 
Pliya  Kralahome,  and  even  his  strength  has  been  wasted. 
The  native  arts  and  literature  have  retrograded ; in  the 
mechanic  arts  much  has  been  lost ; and  the  whole  nation 
is  given  up  to  gambling. 

The  capacity  of  the  Siamese  race  for  improvement  in 


MY  RETIREMENT  FROM  THE  l’ALACE. 


285 


any  direction  has  been  sufficiently  demonstrated,  and  the 
government  has  made  fair  progress  in  political  and  moral 
reforms ; but  the  condition  of  the  slaves  is  such  as  to  ex- 
cite astonishment  and  horror.  What  may  be  the  ultimate 
fate  of  Siam  under  this  accursed  system,  whether  she 
will  ever  emancipate  herself  while  the  world  lasts,  there 
is  no  guessing.  The  happy  examples  free  intercourse 
affords,  the  influence  of  European  ideas,  and  the  compul- 
sion of  public  opinion,  may  yet  work  wonders. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1867,  we  left  Bangkok  in  the 
steamer  Chow  Phya.  All  our  European  friends  accom- 
panied us  to  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  where  we  parted,  with 
much  regret  on  my  side ; and  of  all  those  whose  kindness 
had  bravely  cheered  us  during  our  long  (I  am  tempted  to 
write)  captivity,  the  last  to  bid  us  God-speed  was  the 
good  Captain  Orton,  to  whom  I here  tender  my  heartfelt 
thanks. 


XXVIII. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 

ITH  her  despotic  ruler,  priest  and  king ; her  re- 


ligion of  contradictions,  at  once  pure  and  corrupt, 
lovely  and  cruel,  ennobling  and  debasing ; her  laws, 
wherein  wisdom  is  so  perversely  blended  with  blindness, 
enlightenment  with  barbarism,  strength  with  weakness, 
justice  with  oppression ; her  profound  scrutiny  into  mys- 
tic forms  of  philosophy,  her  ancient  culture  of  physics, 
borrowed  from  the  primitive  speculations  of  Braliminism  ; 
— Siam  is,  beyond  a peradventure,  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able and  thought-compelling  of  the  empires  of  the  Orient ; 
a fascinating  and  provoking  enigma,  alike  to  the  theo- 
logian and  the  political  economist.  Like  a troubled  dream, 
delirious  in  contrast  with  the  coherence  and  stability  of 
Western  life,  the  land  and  its  people  seem  to  be  conjured 
out  of  a secret  of  darkness,  a wonder  to  the  senses  and  a 
mystery  to  the  mind. 

And  yet  it  is  a strangely  beautiful  reality.  The  en- 
chanting variety  of  its  scenery,  joined  to  the  inexhausti- 
ble productiveness  of  its  soil,  constitutes  a challenge  to 
the  charms  of  every  other  region,  except,  perhaps,  the 
country  watered  by  the  great  river  of  China.  Through 
an  immense,  continuous  level  of  unfailing  fertility,  the 
Meinam  rolls  slowly,  reposefully,  grandly,  in  its  course 
receiving  draughts  from  many  a lesser  stream,  filling 
many  a useful  canal  in  its  turn,  and,  from  the  abundance 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


287 


the  generous  rains  bestow,  distributing  supplies  of  refresh- 
ment and  fatness  to  innumerable  acres. 

In  a soil  at  once  so  rich  and  so  well  watered,  the  sun, 
with  its  vivifying  heats,  engenders  a mighty  vegetation, 
delighting  the  eye  for  more  than  half  the  year  with  end- 
less undulations  of  grain  and  a great  golden  Eden  of 
fruit.  Its  staples  are  solid  blessings : rice,  the  Asiatic’s 
staff  of  life ; sugar,  most  popular  of  dietetic  luxuries ; 
indigo,  most  valuable  of  dyes ; in  the  drier  tracts,  cotton, 
tobacco,  coffee,  a variety  of  palms  (from  one  species  of 
which  sugar  not  unlike  that  of  the  maple  is  extracted),  the 
wild  olive,  and  the  fig.  Then  there  are  vast  forests  of  teak, 
that  enduring  monarch  of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  ebony, 
satin-wood,  eagle-wood  ; beside  ivory,  beeswax  and  honey, 
raw  silk,  and  many  aromatic  gums  and  fragrant  spices. 
And  though  the  scenery  is  less  various  and  picturesque 
than  that  of  the  regions  of  Gangetic  India,  where  ranges 
of  noble  mountains  make  the  land  majestic,  nevertheless 
nature  riots  here  in  bewildering  luxuriances  of  vegetable 
forms  and  colors.  Vast  tracts,  shady  and  cool  with  dense 
dark  foliage ; trees,  tall  and  strong,  spreading  their  giant 
arms  abroad,  with  prickly,  shining  shrubs  between,  while 
parasites  and  creepers,  wild,  bright,  and  beautiful,  trail 
from  the  highest  boughs  to  the  ground ; the  bamboo, 
shooting  to  the  height  of  sixty  feet  and  upward,  with 
branches  gracefully  drooping  ; the  generous,  kind  banana ; 
fairy  forests  of  ferns  of  a thousand  forms  ; tall  grasses, 
with  their  pale  and  plumy  blossoms ; the  many-trunked 
and  many-rooted  banyan ; the  boh,  sacred  to  Buddha,  — 
all  combine  to  form  a garden  that  Adam  might  have 
dressed  and  kept,  and  only  Eve  could  spoil. 

It  is  only  when  he  approaches  the  borders  of  the  land 
that  the  traveller  is  greeted  by  grand  mountains,  crowned 
with  impenetrable  forests,  and  forming  an  amphitheatre 
around  the  graceful  plains.  Along  the  coast  the  view  is 


288 


TIIE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


more  diversified ; islands,  the  most  picturesque,  and  rich 
with  diversified  vegetation,  make  happy,  striking  con- 
trasts, here  and  there,  with  the  deep  blue  sea  around 
them. 

The  extent  and  boundaries  of  the  kingdom  and  its  de- 
pendencies have  been  variously  described ; but  according 
to  the  statement  of  his  Majesty  Maha  Mongkut,  the 
dominion  of  his  predecessors,  before  the  possession  of 
Malacca  by  the  Portuguese,  extended  over  the  whole  of 
the  Malayan  peninsula,  including  the  islands  of  Singapore 
and  Pinang,  which  at  that  time  formed  a part  of  the  realm 
of  the  Eajah  of  Quedah,  who  still  pays  tribute  to  the 
crown  of  Siam.  It  was  at  the  instigation  of  English  set- 
tiers  that  the  states  of  Johore,  Singapore,  Kambo,  Talan- 
gore,  Pahang,  and  Puah  became  subject  to  British  rule; 
so  that  to-day  the  Siamese  dominion,  starting  from  the 
little  kingdom  of  Tringamu,  extends  from  the  fourth  to 
the  twenty-second  degree  of  north  latitude,  giving  about 
1,350  miles  of  length,  while  from  east  to  west  its  greatest 
breadth  is  about  450  miles.  On  the  north  it  is  bounded 
by  several  provinces  of  Laos,  tributaries  of  Ava  and 
China ; on  the  east  by  the  empire  of  Anam ; on  the  west 
by  the  sea  and  British  possessions ; on  the  south  by  the 
petty  states  of  Pahang  and  Puah.  Beyond  Siam  proper 
are  the  kingdom  of  Ligor  and  the  four  small  states,  Que- 
dah, Patan,  Calantan,  and  Yeingana ; on  the  east  a part  of 
the  kingdom  of  Cambodia,  Muang  Ivorat,and  several  prov- 
inces of  Laos ; on  the  north  the  kingdoms  of  Chiengmai, 
Laphun,  Lakhon,  Muang  Pliiee,  Muang  Naun,  Muang 
Loan,  and  Luang  Phrabang.  The  great  plain  of  Siam  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  a spur  of  the  Himalayan  range, 
which  breaks  off  in  Cambodia,  and  is  found  again  in  the 
west,  extending  almost  to  the  extremity  of  the  Malayan 
states  , on  the  north  these  two  mountain  ranges  approach 
each  other,  and  form  that  multitude  of  small  hills  which 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


289 


imparts  so  picturesque  an  aspect  to  the  Laos  country. 
This  plain  is  watered  by  the  river  Meinam,*  or  Chow 
Phya,  whose  innumerable  branches,  great  and  small,  and 
the  many  canals  which,  fed  by  it,  intersect  the  capital 
in  all  directions,  constitute  it  the  high-road  of  the  Em- 
pire. For  many  miles  its  banks  are  fringed  with  the 
graceful  bamboo,  the  tamarind,  the  palm,  and  the  peepul, 
the  homes  of  myriads  of  birds  of  the  land  and  of  the 
water,  — creatures  of  brilliant  plumage  and  delightful 
song. 

Siam  has  some  excellent  harbors,  though  the  principal 
one,  on  the  gulf,  is  partially  obstructed  by  great  banks  of 
sand  that  have  accumulated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chow 
Phya.  Ships  of  ordinary  burden,  however,  can  cross 
these  banks  at  high  tide,  and  in  a few  hours  cast  anchor 
in  the  heart  of  the  capital,  in  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet 
of  water.  Here  they  are  snug  and  safe.  Besides,  the 
gulf  itself  is  free  from  the  typhoons  so  destructive  to 
shipping  on  the  China  seas. 

In  all  the  Malayan  Islands  there  are  numerous  unim- 
portant streams,  which,  though  limited  in  their  course, 
form  excellent  harbors  at  their  debouchement  on  the 
coast.  The  eastern  regions  of  Laos  and  Cambodia  are 
watered  by  the  river  Meikhong,  which  has  a course  of 
nearly  a thousand  miles  ; but  its  navigation,  like  that  of 
the  Meinam  at  its  mouth,  is  impeded  by  sand-banks.  The 
smaller  streams,  Chantabun,  Pet  Rue,  and  Tha  Chang,  all 
run  into  the  Meikhong,  which,  mingling  its  waters  with 
those  of  the  Meinam,  flows  through  Chiengmai,  receives 
the  waters  of  Phitsalok,  and  then,  diverging  by  many 
channels,  inundates  the  great  plain  of  Siam  once  every 
year,  in  the  month  of  June.  By  the  end  of  August  this 
entire  region  has  become  one  vast  sheet  of  water,  so  that 

* “ Mother  of  Waters,”  — a common  Siamese  term  for  all  large 
streams. 


13 


8 


290 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


boats  traverse  it  in  every  direction  without  injury  to  the 
young  rice  springing  up  beneath  them. 

The  climate  of  Siam  is  more  or  less  hot  according  to 
the  latitude ; only  continual  bathing  can  render  it  en- 
durable. There  are  but  two  seasons,  the  wet  and  the  dry. 
As  soon  as  the  southwest  monsoon  sets  in,  masses  of 
spongy  cumuli  gather  on  the  summits  of  the  western 
mountains,  giving  rise  to  furious  squalls  about  sunset,  and 
dispersing  in  peals  of  thunder  and  torrents  of  refreshing 
rain.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  rainy  season, 
this  succession  of  phenomena  is  repeated  every  evening. 
The  monsoon  from  the  north  brings  an  excess  of  rain,  and 
the  thermometer  falls.  With  the  return  of  the  dry  season 
the  air  becomes  comparatively  cool,  and  most  favorable  to 
health  ; this  continues  from  October  to  January.  The 
dews  are  extremely  heavy  in  the  months  of  March  and 
April.  At  dawn  the  atmosphere  is  impregnated  with  a 
thick  fog,  which,  as  the  sun  rises,  descends  in  dews  so 
abundant  that  trees,  plants,  and  grass  drip  as  from  a re- 
cent shower  of  rain. 

The  population  of  Siam  is  still  a matter  of  uncertainty ; 
but  it  is  officially  estimated  at  from  six  to  seven  millions 
of  souls,  comprising  Siamese  or  Thai-Malay,  Laotians, 
Cambodians,  Peguans,  Kariens,  Slians,  and  Loas. 

Siam  produces  enormous  quantities  of  excellent  rice,  of 
which  there  are  forty  distinct  varieties ; and  her  sugar  is 
esteemed  the  best  in  the  world.  Her  rivers  and  lakes 
abound  in  fish,  as  well  as  in  turtles  and  aquatic  birds. 
The  exports  are  rice,  sugar,  cotton,  tobacco,  hemp,  cutch, 
fish  (salted  and  dried),  cocoanut  oil,  beeswax,  dried  fruits, 
gamboge,  cardamoms,  betel-nuts,  pepper,  various  gums 
and  barks,  sapan-wood,  eagle-wood,  rosewood,  krachee- 
wood,  ebony,  ivory,  raw  silk,  buffalo-hides,  tiger-skins, 
armadillo-skins,  elephants’  tusks  and  bones,  rhinoceros 
bones,  turtle-shells,  peacocks’  tails,  bird’s-nests,  king- 
fishers’ feathers,  &c. 


THE  KINGIOM  OF  SIAM. 


291 


The  revenue  arising  from  duties  and  tolls  on  imported 
and  native  produce  being  mostly  collected  in  kind,  only  a 
small  part  is  converted  into  specie ; the  rest  is  distributed 
in  part  payment  of  salaries  to  the  dependants  of  the 
court,  whose  name  is  legion.  Princes  of  the  blood  royal, 
high  officers  of  state,  provincial  governors,  and  most  of 
the  judges,  receive  grants  of  provinces,  districts,  villages, 
and  farms,  to  support  their  several  dignities  and  reward 
their  services ; and  the  rents,  fees,  fines,  bribes,  and  sops 
of  these  assignments  are  collected  by  them  for  their  own 
behoof.  Thus,  to  one  man  are  given  the  fees,  to  another 
the  fines  or  bribes,  which  custom  has  attached  to  his  func- 
tions ; to  others  are  alloted  offices,  by  virtue  of  which  cer- 
tain imposts  are  levied ; to  this  man  the  land  ; to  another 
the  waters  of  rivers  and  canals ; to  a third  the  fruit-bear- 
ing trees.  But  money  is  distributed  with  a niggard  hand, 
and  only  once  a year.  Every  officer  of  revenue  is  per- 
mitted to  pocket,  and  “ charge  to  salary,”  a part  of  all  that 
he  collects  in  taxes,  fines,  extortions,  bribes,  gifts,  and 
“ testimonials.” 

The  rulers  of  Laos  pay  to  the  crown  of  Siam  a tribute 
of  gold  and  silver  “ trees,”  rings  set  with  gems,  and  chains 
of  solid  gold.  The  trees,  which  appear  to  be  composed 
entirely  of  the  precious  metals,  are  really  nothing  more 
than  cylinders  and  tubes  of  tin,  substantially  gilt  or 
plated,  designed  to  represent  the  graceful  clove-tree  in- 
digenous to  that  part  of  the  country ; the  leaves  and 
blossoms,  however,  are  of  solid  gold  and  silver.  Each  tree 
is  planted  in  an  artificial  gilt  mound,  and  is  worth  from 
five  hundred  to  seven  hundred  ticals,  while  the  chains 
and  rings  are  decorated  with  large  and  pure  rubies. 

The  raw  silk,  elephants’  tusks,  and  other  rare  products 
of  Siam,  are  highly  prized  by  the  Mohammedan  traders, 
who  compete  one  with  another  in  shipping  them  for  the 
Bombay  markets.  They  are  usually  put  up  at  auction  ; 


292 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


and,  strange  to  say,  the  auctioneers  are  women  of  the 
royal  harem,  the  favorite  concubines  of  the  First  King. 
The  shrewd  Moslem  broker,  turning  a longing  eye  upon 
the  precious  stores  of  the  royal  warehouses,  employs  his 
wife,  or  a trusty  slave,  to  approach  this  Nourmahal  or 
that  Bose-in-bloom  with  presents,  and  promises  of  gen- 
erous premium  to  her  whose  influence  shall  procure  for  the 
bidder  the  acceptance  of  his  proposal.  By  a system  of 
secret  service  peculiar  to  these  traders,  the  amount  of  the 
last  offer  is  easily  discovered,  and  the  new  bidder  “ sees 
that  ” (if  I may  be  permitted  to  amuse  myself  with  the 
phraseology  of  the  Mississippi  bluff-player)  and  “ goes  ” a 
few  ticals  “ better.”  There  are  always  several  enterpris- 
ing Stars  of  the  Harem  ready  to  vary  the  monotony  by 
engaging  in  this  unromantic  business ; and  the  agitation 
among  the  “ sealed  ” sisterhood,  though  by  no  means  bois- 
terous, is  lively,  though  all  have  tact  to  appear  indifferent 
in  the  presence  of  their  awful  lord.  The  meagreness  of 
the  royal  allowance  of  pin-money  is  the  consideration 
that  renders  the  prize  important  in  the  eyes  of  each  of 
the  competitors ; and  yet  it  is  strange,  in  all  the  feminine 
vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit  that  the  occasion  engenders, 
how  little  of  jealous  bitterness  and  heartburning  is  di- 
rected against  the  lucky  lady.  The  competitors  agree 
upon  a favorable  opportunity  to  present  the  tenders  of 
their  respective  clients  to  his  Majesty.  Each  selecting 
the  most  costly  and  attractive  of  her  bribes,  and  display- 
ing them  to  advantage  on  a tray  of  gold,  lays  the  written 
bid  on  the  top ; or  with  a shrewd  device  of  the  maternal 
instinct,  so  fertile  in  pretty  tricks  of  artfulness,  places  it  in 
the  hands  of  a pet  child,  who  is  taught  to  present  it  win- 
ningly  as  the  king  descends  to  his  midday  meal.  The 
attention  of  his  Majesty  is  attracted  by  the  display  of 
showy  toys ; he  deigns  to  inquire  as  to  the  donors ; the 
“ sealed  proposals  ” are  respectfully,  and  doubtless  with 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


293 


more  or  less  coquetry,  pressed  upon  him  ; and  the  matter 
is  then  and  there  concluded,  almost  invariably  in  favor 
of  the  highest  bidder.  This  semi-romantic  mode  of  traffic 
was  gravely  encouraged  by  his  late  Majesty,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  his  favorites  of  the  harem;  and  great  store  of  prod- 
uce, of  the  finer  varieties,  was  thus  disposed  of  in  the 
palace. 

The  poll-tax  on  the  Chinese,  levied  once  in  three  years, 
is  paid  in  bullion. 

The  annual  income  of  the  public  treasury  rarely  ex- 
ceeds the  outgo  ; but  whatever  the  state  of  the  exchequer, 
and  of  the  funds  reserved  for  the  service  of  the  state, 
the  personal  resources  of  the  monarch  are  always  most 
abundant.  Nor  do  the  great  sums  lavished  upon  his 
favorites  and  children  deplete,  in  any  respect,  his  vast  treas- 
ures, because  they  are  all  supported  by  grants  of  land, 
monopolies  of  market,  special  taxes,  tithes,  douceurs,  and 
other  patrimonial  or  tributary  provisions.  A certain  emol- 
ument is  also  derived  from  the  valuable  mines  of  the 
country,  though,  poorly  worked  as  they  are,  but  small  im- 
portance has  as  yet  been  ascribed-  to  these  as  a source  of 
revenue ; yet  the  gold  of  Bhangtaphan  is  esteemed  the 
purest  and  most  ductile  in  the  world.  Beside  mines  of 
iron,  antimony,  gold,  and  silver,  there  are  quarries  of 
white  marble.  The  extraordinary  number  of  idols  and 
works  of  art  cast  in  metal  seems  to  indicate  that  these 
mines  were  once  largely  worked ; and  it  is  believed  that 
the  vast  quantities  of  gold  which  for  centuries  has  been 
consumed  in  the  construction  of  images  and  the  adorn- 
ment of  temples,  pagodas,  and  palaces,  were  drawn  from 
them.  The  country  abounds  in  pits,  bearing  marks  of 
great  age  ; and  there  are  also  remains  of  many  furnaces, 
which  are  said  to  have  been  abandoned  in  the  wars  with 
Pegu.  Mineral  springs  — copious  and,  no  doubt,  valu- 
able — are  numerous  in  some  parts  of  the  country. 


294 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


The  exports  of  Siam  are  various  and  profitable ; and 
of  the  raw  materials,  teak  timber  is  entitled  to  the  first 
consideration.  The  domestic  consumption  of  this  most 
useful  wood  in  the  construction  of  dwellings,  sacred  edi- 
fices, ships,  and  boats,  is  enormous ; yet  the  forests  trav- 
ersed by  the  great  rivers  seem  inexhaustible,  and  the 
supply  continues  so  abundant  that  the  variations  in  the 
price  are  very  slight.  The  advantage  the  country  must 
derive  from  her  extensive  commerce  in  a commodity  so 
valuable  may  hardly  be  overrated. 

Next  in  importance  are  the  native  sugars,  rice,  cotton, 
and  silk,  which  find  their  way  in  large  quantities  to  the 
markets  of  China  and  Hindostan.  Among  other  articles 
of  crude  produce  may  be  mentioned  ivory  * (a  single  fine 
tusk  being  often  valued  at  five  thousand  dollars),  wax, 
lead,  copper,  tin,  amber,  indigo,  tobacco,  honey,  and  bird’s- 
nests.  There  are  also  precious  stones  of  several  varieties, 
and  the  famous  gold  of  Bhangtaphan.  Forty  different 
kinds  of  rice  are  named,  but  these  may  properly  be  re- 
duced to  four  classes,  — the  Common  or  table,  the  Small- 
grained  or  mountain,  the  Glutinous,  and  the  Vermilion 
rice.  From  the  glutinous  rice  arrack  is  distilled.  The 
areca,  or  pinang-nut,  and  the  betel,  are  used  almost  uni- 
versally, chewed  with  lime,  the  lime,  — being  dyed  with 
turmeric,  which  imparts  to  it  a rich  vermilion  tint ; the 
areca-nut  is  also  used  in  dying  cotton  thread. 

The  characteristic  traits  of  the  Siamese  Court  are  hau- 
teur, insolent  indifference,  and  ostentation,  the  natural 
features  and  expression  of  tyranny ; and  every  artifice 
that  power  and  opulence  can  devise  is  employed  to  inspire 
the  minds  of  the  common  people  with  trembling  awe  and 
devout  veneration  for  their  sovereign  master.  Though  the 
late  Supreme  King  wisely  reformed  certain  of  the  stun- 
ning customs  of  the  court  with  more  modest  innovations, 

* In  Siam  reserved  as  a royal  appropriation. 


Royai,  Barge. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


295 


nevertheless  he  rarely  went  abroad  without  extrava- 
gant display,  especially  in  his  annual  visitations  to  the 
temples.  These  were  performed  in  a style  studiously 
contrived  to  strike  the  beholder  with  astonishment  and 
admiration. 

The  royal  state  barge,  one  hundred  cubits  long,  beside 
being  elaborately  carved,  and  inlaid  with  bits  of  crystal, 
porcelain,  mother-of-pearl,  and  jade,  is  richly  enamelled 
and  gilt.  The  stem,  which  rises  ten  or  eleven  feet  from 
the  bows,  represents  the  nagha  mustaklia  sapta,  the  seven- 
headed serpent  or  alligator.  A plirasat,  or  elevated  throne 
(also  termed  p'lira-the-nang),  occupies  the  centre,  supported 
by  four  pillars.  The  extraordinary  beauty  of  the  inlaying 
of  shells,  mother-of-pearl,  crystal,  and  precious  stones  of 
every  color,  the  splendor  of  the  gilding,  and  the  elegance 
of  the  costly  kinkob  curtains  with  which  it  is  hung, 
combine  to  render  this  one  of  the  most  striking  and 
beautiful  objects  to  be  seen  on  the  Meinam.  The  barge 
is  usually  manned  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  their 
paddles  gilt  and  silver-tipped. 

This  government  reproduces,  in  many  of  its  shows  of 
power,  pride,  and  ostentation,  a tableau  vivant  of  European 
rule  in  the  darker  ages,  when,  on  the  decline  of  Roman 
dominance,  the  principles  of  feudal  dependence  were 
established  by  barbarians  from  the  North.  Under  such  a 
system,  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain,  or  to  represent  by 
any  standards  of  currency,  the  amount  of  the  royal  reve- 
nues and  treasures.  But  it  is  known  that  the  riches  of 
the  Siamese  monarch  are  immense,  and  that  a magnificent 
share  of  the  legal  plunder  drawn  into  the  royal  treasury 
is  sunk  there,  and  never  returns  into  circulation  again. 
The  hoarding  of  money  seems  to  be  the  cherished  prac- 
tice of  all  Oriental  rulers,  and  even  a maxim  of  state 
policy  ; and  that  the  general  diffusion  of  property  among 
his  subjects  offers  the  only  safe  assurance  of  prosperity 


296 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


for  himself  and  stability  for  his  throne  is  the  last  precept 
of  prudence  an  Asiatic  monarch  ever  learns. 

The  armies  of  Siam  are  raised  on  the  spur  of  the  mo- 
ment, as  it  were,  for  any  pressing  emergency.  When 
troops  are  to  he  called  out,  a royal  command,  addressed 
to  all  viceroys  and  governors,  requires  them  to  raise  their 
respective  quotas,  and  report  to  a commander-in-chief  at  a 
general  rendezvous.  These  recruits  are  clothed,  equipped 
with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  “ subsisted  ” with  daily  ra- 
tions of  rice,  oil,  etc.,  but  are  not  otherwise  paid.  The  small 
standing  army,  which  serves  as  the  nucleus  upon  which 
these  irregulars  are  gathered  and  formed,  consists  of  in- 
fantry, cavalry,  elephant-riders,  archers,  and  private  body- 
guards, paid  at  the  rate  of  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a 
month,  with  clothing  and  rations.  The  infantry  are 
armed  with  muskets  and  sabres  ; the  cavalry,  with  bows 
and  arrows  as  well  as  spears  ; but  the  spear,  which  is  from 
six  to  seven  feet  long,  is  the  favorite  weapon  of  this  arm 
of  the  sendee,  and  they  handle  it  with  astonishing  dex- 
terity. The  king’s  private  body-guards  are  well  paid, 
clothed,  and  quartered,  having  their  stations  and  barracks 
within  the  palace  walls  and  near  the  most  attractive 
streets  and  avenues,  while  other  troops  are  lodged  out- 
side. 

It  is  customary  to  detain  the  families  of  conscripts  in 
the  districts  to  which  they  belong,  as  prisoners  on  parole, 
— hostages  for  the  good  conduct  of  their  young  men  in 
the  army ; and  for  the  desertion  or  treachery  of  the  sol- 
dier, his  wife  or  children,  mother  or  sisters,  as  the  case 
may  be,  are  tortured,  or  even  executed,  without  compunc- 
tion or  remorse.  The  long  and  peaceful  reign  of  the  late 
king,  however,  has  almost  effaced  from  the  minds  of  the 
youth  of  Siam  the  remembrance  of  such  monstrous  oppres- 
sions. 

The  Siamese  are  but  indifferent  sailors,  their  nautical 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


297 


excursions  being  mainly  confined  to  short  coasting  trips, 
or  boating  in  safe  and  familiar  channels.  The  more  ad- 
venturous export  trade  is  carried  on  ahnost  wholly  by 
foreigners.  About  one  thousand  war-boats  constitute  the 
bulk  of  the  navy.  These  are  constructed  from  the  solid 
bole  of  the  teak-tree,  excavated  partly  with  fire,  partly 
with  the  adze  ; and,  while  they  are  commonly  from  eighty 
to  a hundred  feet  long,  the  breadth  rarely  exceeds  eight  or 
nine  feet,  though  the  apparent  width  is  increased  by  the 
addition  of  a sort  of  light  gallery.  They  are  made  to 
carry  fifty  or  sixty  rowers,  with  short  oars  working  on  a 
pivot.  The  prow,  which  is  solid,  has  a flat  terrace,  on 
which,  for  the  king’s  up-country  excursions,  they  mount 
a small  field-piece,  a nine  or  a twelve  pounder.  There 
are  also  several  men-of-war  belonging  to  the  government, 
built  by  European  engineers. 

The  number  of  vessels  in  the  merchant  marine  cannot 
be  great.  Dwelling  so  long  in  peace  and  security  at 
home,  the  tastes  and  the  energies  of  the  Siamese  people 
have  been  confirmed,  by  their  political  circumstances,  in 
that  inclination  toward  agricultural  rather  than  com- 
mercial pursuits  which  their  geographical  conditions 
naturally  engender.  The  extreme  fertility  of  the  soil, 
watered  by  innumerable  streams,  and  intersected  in  every 
direction  by  a network  of  capacious  canals  (of  which  the 
Klong  Yai,  Klong  Bangkok-noi,  and  Klong  P’hra-cha-dee, 
are  the  most  remarkable) ; the  generating  heats  of  the 
climate ; the  teeming  plains  of  the  upper  provinces,  bul- 
warked by  mighty  mountains ; and,  above  all,  that  mag- 
nificent mother,  the  Meinam,  winding  in  her  beauty  and 
bounty  through  a vast  and  lovely  vale  to  the  sea,  in  her 
course  subjecting  all  things  to  the  enriching  and  adorning 
influence  of  her  touch,  — all  combine  by  their  irresistible 
inducements  to  determine  the  native  to  the  tilling  of  the 
ground. 


13* 


298 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


Nothing  can  be  more  delightful  than  an  excursion 
through  the  country  immediately  after  the  subsidence  of 
the  floods.  Then  nature  is  draped  in  hues  as  charming  as 
they  are  various,  from  the  palest  olive  to  the  liveliest 
green ; broad  fields  wave  with  tall  golden  spires  of  grain, 
or  are  dotted  with  tufted  sheaves  heavy  with  generous 
crops ; the  refreshed  air  is  perfumed  with  the  fragrance 
of  the  orange,  lemon,  citron,  and  other  tropical  fruits  and 
flowers ; and  on  every  side  the  landscape  is  a scene  of 
lovely  meadows,  alive  with  flocks  and  herds,  and  busy 
with  herdsmen,  husbandmen,  and  gardeners. 

The  most  considerable  of  the  many  canals  by  which 
communication  is  maintained  with  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try is  Klong  Yai,  the  Great  Canal,  supposed  to  have  been 
begun  in  the  reign  of  Phya  Tak.  It  is  nearly  a hundred 
cubits  deep,  twenty  Siamese  fathoms  broad,  and  forty 
miles  long.  Bangkok  has  been  aptly  styled  “ the  Venice 
of  the  Orient  ” ; for  not  only  the  villages  thickly  stud- 
ding the  banks  of  the  Meinam,  but  the  remoter  hamlets 
as  well,  even  to  the  confines  of  the  kingdom,  have  each 
its  own  canals.  In  fact,  the  lands  annually  inundated  by 
the  Mother  of  Waters  are  so  extensive,  and  for  the  most 
part  lie  so  low,  and  the  number  of  water-ducts,  natural 
and  artificial,  is  so  great,  that  of  all  the  torrents  that  de- 
scend upon  the  country  in  the  months  of  June,  July,  and 
August  (when  the  whole  land  is  as  a sea,  in  which  towns 
and  villages  show  like  docks  connected  by  drawbridges, 
with  little  islets  between  of  groves  and  orchards,  whose 
tops  alone  are  visible),  not  a tithe  ever  returns  to  the 
ocean. 

The  modern  bridges  of  Siam,  which  are  mostly  of  iron 
in  the  European  style,  are  made  to  be  drawn  for  the  pas- 
sage of  the  King’s  barge,  since  the  royal  head  may  not 
without  desecration  pass  under  anything  trodden  by  the 
foot  of  man.  The  more  ancient  bridges,  however,  are  of 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  SIAM. 


299 


stone  and  brick ; and  here  and  there  are  strange  artificial 
lakes,  partly  filled  up  with  the  debris  of  temples  that 
once  stood  on  their  hanks.  Of  roads  there  are  hut  few 
that  are  good,  and  all  are  of  comparatively  recent  con- 
struction. 


XXIX 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA  * — AN  EXCURSION 
TO  THE  NAGHIvON  WATT. 

OUR  journey  from  Bangkok  to  Rabin  derived  its 
memorable  interest  from  those  features  and  feelings 
which  join  to  compose  the  characteristic  romance  of 
Eastern  travel  by  unhackneyed  ways,  — the  wild  freedom 
of  the  plain,  the  tortuous,  suspicious  mountain  track,  the 
tangled  jungle,  the  bewildering  wastes  and  glooms  of  an 
unexplored  region,  with  their  suggestions  of  peril  and  ad- 
venture, and  especially  that  glorious  participation  in  the 
enlargement  and  liberty  of  an  Eastern  wanderer’s  life 
which  these  afford.  Once  you  begin  to  feel  that,  you  will 
he  happy,  whether  on  an  elephant  or  in  a buffalo-cart,  — 
the  very  privations  and  perils  including  a charm  of  ex- 
citement all  unknown  to  the  formal  European  tourist. 

The  rainbow  mists  of  morning  still  lay  low  on  the  plain, 
as  yet  unlifted  by  the  breeze  that,  laden  with  odor  and 
song,  gently  rocked  the  higher  branches  in  the  forest,  as 
our  elephants  pressed  on,  heavily  hut  almost  noiselessly, 
over  a parti-colored  carpet  of  wild-flowers.  Strange  birds 

* The  Cambodian  was,  without  doubt,  in  its  day,  one  of  the  most 
powerful  of  the  empires  of  the  East.  As  to  its  antiquity,  two  opinions 
prevail,  - — one  ascribing  to  it  a duration  of  1, 300  years,  tbe  other  of  2, 400. 
The  native  historians  reckon  2,400  years  from  the  building  of  the  Xagli- 
kon  Watt,  or  Naghkon  Ongkhoor  ; but  this  computation,  not  agreeing 
with  the  mythological  traditions  of  the  country,  which  date  from  the 
Year  of  the  World  205,  is  not  accepted  as  authentic  by  the  more  learned 
Cambodians. 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGHKON  WATT. 


301 


darted  from  bough  to  bough  among  the  wild  myrtles  and 
limes,  and  great  green  and  golden  lizards  gleamed  through 
the  shrubbery  as  we  approached  Siemrap. 

The  more  extensive  and  remarkable  ruins  of  Cambodia 
seem  concentrated  in  this  part  of  the  country,  though 
they  are  by  no  means  confined  to  it,  but  are  found  widely 
scattered  over  the  neighboring  territories. 

From  Sisuphon  we  diverged  in  a northeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  at  evening  found  ourselves  in  the  quaint,  antique 
town  of  Phanomsok,  half  ruined  and  deserted,  where  the 
remains  of  a magnificent  palace  can  still  be  traced. 

The  country  between  Cambodia  and  Siam  is  an  inclined 
plane  falling  off  to  the  sea,  beginning  from  the  Khoa  Don 
Eeke,  or  highlands  of  Ivorat,  which  constitutes  the  first 
platform  of  the  terraces  that  gradually  ascend  to  the 
mountain  chain  of  Laos,  and  thence  to  the  stupendous 
Himalayas. 

Khoa  Don  Eeke  (“the  Mountain  which  Bears  on  the 
Shoulders,”  the  Cambodian  Atlas)  includes  in  its  domain 
the  Dong  Phya  Fai  (“  Forest  of  the  Lord  of  Fire  ”),  whence 
many  tributary  streams  flow  into  the  beautiful  Pacliim 
Eiver. 

At  sunrise  next  morning  we  resumed  our  journey,  and 
after  a long  day  of  toiling  through  treacherous  marshes 
and  tangled  brushwood  came  at  sunset  upon  an  object 
whose  presence  there  was  a wonder,  and  its  past  a puzzle, 
— a ridge  or  embankment  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  elevation, 
which,  to  our  astonishment,  ran  high  and  dry  through  the 
swampy  lowlands.  ■ In  the  heart  of  an  interminable  forest 
it  stretches  along  one  side  of  the  tangled  trail,  in  some 
places  walling  it  in,  at  others  crossing  it  at  right  angles  ; 
now  suddenly  diving  into  the  depths  of  the  forest")  now 
reappearing  afar  off,  as  if  to  mock  our  cautious  progress, 
and  invite  us  to  follow  it.  The  eye,  wistfully  pursuing 
its  eccentric  sweep,  suddenly  loses  it  in  impenetrable 


302 


TIIE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


shadows.  There  is  not  a vestige  of  any  other  ruin  near 
it,  and  the  long  lines  it  here  and  there  shows,  ghostly 
white  in  the  moonlight,  seem  like  spectral  strands  of 
sand. 

Our  guides  tell  us  this  isolated  ridge  was  once  the  great 
highway  of  ancient  Cambodia,  that  it  can  he  traced  from 
the  neighborhood  of  Nohk  Burree  to  Naghkon  Watt,  and 
thence  to  the  very  heart  of  Cochin  China ; and  one  as- 
sures us  that  no  man  has  ever  seen  the  end  of  it. 

So  on  we  went,  winding  our  devious  way  over  pathless 
ground,  now  diving  into  shady  valleys,  now  mounting  to 
sunny  eminences  where  the  breeze  blew  free  and  the  eye 
could  range  far  and  wide,  but  not  to  find  aught  that  was 
human.  Gradually  the  flowering  shrubs  forsook  us,  and 
dark  forest  trees  pressed  grimly  around,  as  we  traversed 
the  noble  stone  bridges  that  those  grand  old  Cambodians 
loved  to  build  over  comparatively  insignificant  streams. 
The  moon,  touching  with  fantastic  light  the  crumbling 
arches  and  imparting  a charm  of  illusion  to  the  scene, 
the  clear  spangled  sky,  the  startling  voices  of  the  night, 
and  the  influence  of  the  unknown,  the  mysterious,  and 
the  weird,  overcame  us  like  a dream.  Truly  there  is 
naught  of  the  commonplace  or  vulgar  in  this  land  of 
ruins  and  legends,  and  the  foretaste  of  the  wonders  we 
were  about  to  behold  met  our  view  in  the  great  bridges. 

Taphan  Hin  (“  the  Stone  Bridge  ”)  and  the  finer  and 
more  artistic  Taphan  Thevadali  (“  the  Angel’s  Bridge  ”)  are 
both  imposing  works.  Arches,  still  resting  firmly  on  their 
foundations,  buttressed  by  fifty  great  pillars  of  stone,  sup- 
port a structure  about  five  hundred  feet  long  and  eighty 
broad.  The  road-bed  of  these  bridges  is  formed  of  im- 
mense blocks  or  beams  of  stone,  laid  one  upon  another,  and 
so  adjusted  that  their  very  weight  serves  to  keep  the 
arches  firm. 

In  a clearing  in  the  forest,  near  a rivulet  called  by  the 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGHKON  WATT. 


303 


Cambodians  Stliicng  Sinn  (“  Sufficient  to  our  Need  ”),  we 
encamped ; and,  having  rested  and  supped,  again  followed 
our  guides  over  the  foaming  stream,  and  recrossed  the 
Stone  Bridge  on  foot,  marvelling  at  the  work  of  a race 
of  whose  existence  the  Western  nations  know  nothing, 
who  have  no  name  in  history,  yet  who  builded  in  a style 
surpassing  in  boldness  of  conception,  grandeur  of  propor- 
tions, and  delicacy  of  design,  the  best  works  of  the  mod- 
ern world,  — stupendous,  beautiful,  enduring  ! 

The  material  is  mostly  freestone,  but  a flinty  conglom- 
erate appears  wherever  the  work  is  exposed  to  the  action 
of  the  water. 

Formerly  a fine  balustrade  crowned  the  bridge  on  both 
sides,  but  it  has  been  broken  down.  The  ornamental 
parts  of  these  massive  structures  seem  to  have  been  the 
only  portions  the  invading  vandals  of  the  time  could 
destroy. 

The  remains  of  the  balustrade  show  that  it  consisted  of 
a series  of  long  quarry  stones,  on  the  ridges  of  which 
caryatidian  pillars,  representing  the  seven-headed  serpent, 
supported  other  slabs  grooved  along  the  rim  to  receive 
semi-convex  stones  with  arabesque  sculptures,  affording 
a hint  of  ancient  Cambodian  art. 

On  the  left  bank  we  found  the  remains  of  a staircase 
leading  down  to  the  water,  not  far  from  a spot  where  a 
temple  formerly  stood. 

Next  morning  we  crossed  the  Taphan  Teph,  or  Heav- 
enly Bridge,  — like  the  Taphan  Hin  and  the  Taphan 
Thevadah  a work  of  almost  superhuman  magnitude  and 
solidity. 

Leaving  the  bridges,  our  native  pilots  turned  off  from 
the  ancient  causeway  to  grope  through  narrow  miry  paths 
in  the  jungle. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  we  arrived  at  an- 
other stone  bridge,  over  the  Paleng  Biver.  This,  accord- 


304 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


ing  to  our  guides,  was  abandoned  by  the  builders,  because 
the  country  was  invaded  by  the  hostile  hordes  who  de- 
stroyed Naghkon  Watt.  Slowly  crumbling  among  the 
wild  plantains  and  the  pagan  lotoses  and  lilies,  these 
bridges  seem  to  constitute  .the  sole  memorial,  in  the 
midst  of  that  enchanting  desolation,  of  a once  proud 
and  populous  capital. 

From  the  Paleng  Biver,  limpid  and  cheerful,  a day’s 
journey  brought  us  to  the  town  of  Siemrap ; and,  after 
an  unnecessary  delay  of  several  hours,  we  started  with 
lighter  pockets  for  the  ruins  of  Naghkon  Watt. 

Naghkon,  or  Ongkoor,  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
royal  city  of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Cambodia,  or  Khai- 
main,  of  which  the  only  traditions  that  remain  describe 
in  wild  extravagances  its  boundless  territory ; its  princes 
without  number  who  paid  tribute  in  gold,  silver,  and  pre- 
cious stuffs  ; its  army  of  seventy  thousand  war  elephants, 
two  hundred  thousand  horsemen,  and  nearly  six  millions 
of  foot  soldiers ; and  its  royal  treasure-houses  covering 
“ three  hundred  miles  of  ground.”  In  the  heart  of  this 
lonely  region,  in  a district  still  bearing  the  name  of  Ong- 
koor, and  quite  apart  from  the  ruined  temples  that  abound 
hard  by,  we  found  architectural  remains  of  such  exceed- 
ing grandeur,  with  ruins  of  temples  and  palaces  which 
must  have  been  raised  at  so  vast  a cost  of  labor  and  treas- 
ure, that  we  were  overwhelmed  with  astonishment  and 
admiration. 

What  manner  of  people  were  these  ? 

Whence  came  their  civilization  and  their  culture  ? 

And  why  and  whither  did  they  disappear  from  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth  ? 

The  site  of  the  city  is  in  itself  unique.  Chosen  origi- 
nally for  the  strength  of  its  position,  it  yet  presents  none 
of  the  features  which  should  mark  the  metropolis  of  a 
powerful  people.  It  seems  to  stand  aloof  from  the  world, 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGHKON  WATT. 


305 


exempt  from  its  passions  and  aspirations,  and  shunning 
even  its  thrift.  Confronting  us  with  its  towering  portal, 
overlaid  with  colossal  hieroglyphics,  the  majestic  ruin  of 
the  watt  stands  like  a petrified  dream  of  some  Michael 
Angelo  of  the  giants  — more  impressive  in  its  loneliness, 
more  elegant  and  animated  in  its  grace,  than  aught  that 
Greece  and  Rome  have  left  us,  and  addressing  us  with  a 
significance  all  the  sadder  and  more  solemn  for  the  deso- 
lation  and  barbarism  which  surround  it. 

Unhappily,  the  shocks  of  war,  seconding  the  slowly 
grinding  mills  of  time,  have  left  but  few  of  these  noble 
monuments  ; and  slowly,  but  ruthlessly,  the  work  of  de- 
struction and  decay  goes  on. 

Vainly  may  we  seek  for  any  chronicle  of  the  long  line 
of  monarchs  who  must  have  swayed  the  sceptre  of  the 
once  powerful  empire  of  Malia  Naghkon.  Only  a vague 
tradition  has  come  down,  of  a celestial  prince  to  whom 
the  fame  of  founding  the  great  temple  is  supposed  to  be- 
long ; and  of  an  Egyptian  king,  who,  for  his  sacrilege,  was 
changed  into  a leper.  An  interesting  statue,  representing 
the  latter,  still  stands  in  one  of  the  corridors,  — some- 
what mutilated,  but  sufficiently  well  preserved  to  display 
a marked  contrast  to  the  physical  type  of  the  present  race 
of  Cambodians. 

The  inscriptions  with  which  some  of  the  columns  are 
covered  are  illegible  ; and  if  you  question  the  natives 
as  to  the  origin  of  Naghkon  Watt,  they  will  tell  you 
that  it  was  the  work  of  the  Leper  King,  or  of  P’hra-Inn- 
Suen,  King  of  Heaven,  or  of  giants,  or  that  “ it  made 
itself.” 

These  magnificent  edifices  seem  to  have  been  designed 
for  places  of  worship  rather  than  of  royal  habitation,  for 
nearly  all  are  Buddhist  temples. 

The  statues  and  sculptures  on  the  walls  of  the  outer 
corridor  are  in  alto  relievo,  and  generally  life-size.  The 


306 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


statue  of  the  Leper  King,  not  far  off,  is  moderately  colos- 
sal, and  is  seated  in  a tranquil  and  noble  attitude;  the 
head  especially  is  a masterpiece,  the  features  being  classic 
and  of  manly  beauty. 

Approaching  the  temple  of  Ongkoor,  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  best  preserved  of  these  glorious  remains,  the 
traveller  is  compensated  with  full  measure  of  wonder  and 
delight  for  all  the  fatigues  and  hardships  of  liis  journey. 
Complete  as  is  the  desolation,  a strange  air  of  luxury 
hangs  over  all,  as  though  the  golden  glow  of  sunshine 
and  the  refreshing  gloom  were  for  the  glory  and  the  ease 
of  kings. 

At  each  angle  of  the  temple  are  two  enormous  lions, 
hewn,  pedestal  and  all,  from  a single  block.  A flight 
of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  the  first  platform  of  terraces. 
To  reach  the  main  entrance  from  the  north  staircase 
we  traverse  a noble  causeway,  which  midway  crosses  a 
deep  and  wide  moat  that  seems  to  surround  the  build- 
ing. 

The  main  entrance  is  by  a long  gallery,  having  a su- 
perb central  tower,  with  two  others  of  less  height  on  each 
side.  The  portico  of  each  of  the  three  principal  towers 
is  formed  by  four  projecting  columns,  with  a spacious 
staircase  between.  At  either  extremity  are  similar  por- 
ticos, and  beyond  these  is  a very  lofty  door,  or  gateway, 
covered  with  gigantic  hieroglyphs,  where  gods  and  war- 
riors hang  as  if  self-supported  between  earth  and  sky. 
Then  come  groves  of  columns  that  in  girth  and  height 
might  rival  the  noblest  oaks.  Every  pillar  and  every 
part  of  the  wall  is  so  crowded  with  sculptures  that  the 
whole  temple  seems  hung  with  petrified  tapestry. 

On  the  west  side,  the  long  gallery  is  flanked  by  two 
rows  of  almost  square  columns.  The  blank  windows  are 
cut  out  of  the  wall,  and  finished  with  stone  railings  or 


Ruins  of  the  Naghkon  Watt. 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGIIKON  WATT. 


307 


balconies  of  curiously  twisted  columns ; and  the  different 
compartments  are  equally  covered  with  sculptures  of  sub- 
jects taken  from  the  Ramayana.  Here  are  Lakshman 
and  Hanuman  leading  their  warriors  against  Rawana, — 
some  with  ten  heads,  others  with  many  arms.  The  mon- 
keys are  building  the  stone  bridge  over  the  sea.  Rama 
is  seen  imploring  the  aid  of  the  celestial  protector,  who  sits 
on  high,  in  grand  and  dreamy  contemplation.  Rama’s 
father  is  challenging  the  enemy,  while  Rawana  is  engaged 
in  combat  with  the  leader  of  the  many-wheeled  chariots. 
There  are  many  other  figures  of  eight-handed  deities; 
and  all  are  represented  with  marvellous  skill  in  grouping 
and  action. 

The  entire  structure  is  roofed  with  tiers  of  hewn  stone, 
which  is  also  sculptured ; and  remains  of  a ceiling  may 
still  be  traced.  The  symmetrical  wings  terminate  in 
three  spacious  pavilions  and  this  imposing  colonnade, 
which,  by  its  great  length,  height,  and  harmonious  pro- 
portions, is  conspicuous  from  a great  distance,  and  forms 
an  appropriate  vestibule  to  so  grand  a temple. 

Traversing  the  building,  we  cross  another  and  finer 
causeway,  formed  of  great  blocks  of  stone  carefully  joined, 
and  bordered  with  a handsome  balustrade,  partly  in  ruins, 
very  massive,  and  covered  with  sculptures. 

On  either  side  are  six  great  platforms,  with  flights  of 
steps ; and  on  each  we  find  remains  of  the  seven-headed 
serpent,  — in  some  parts  mutilated,  but  on  the  whole  suffi- 
ciently preserved  to  show  distinctly  the  several  heads, 
some  erect  as  if  guarding  the  entrance,  others  drawn  back 
in  a threatening  attitude.  A smaller  specimen  is  nearly 
perfect  and  very  beautiful. 

We  passed  into  an  adytum,  wardered  by  gigantic  effi- 
gies whose  mystic  forms  we  could  hardly  trace  ; above  us 
that  ponderous  roof,  tier  on  tier  of  solid  stone,  upheld  by 
enormous  columns,  and  incrusted  with  strange  carvings. 


308 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


Everywhere  we  found  fresh  objects  of  wonder,  and  each 
new  spot,  as  we  explored  it,  seemed  the  greatest  wonder 
of  all- 

in  the  centre  of  the  causeway  are  two  elegant  pavil- 
ions with  porticos ; and  at  the  foot  of  the  terrace  we 
come  upon  two  artificial  lakes,  which  in  the  dry  season 
must  be  supplied  either  by  means  of  a subterranean  aque- 
duct or  by  everlasting  springs. 

A balustrade  not  unlike  that  of  the  causeway,  erected 
upon  a sculptured  basement,  starts  from  the  foot  of  the 
terrace  and  runs  quite  round  the  temple,  with  arms,  or 
branches,  descending  at  regular  intervals. 

The  terrace  opens  into  a grand  court,  crowded  with  a 
forest  of  magnificent  columns  with  capitals,  each  hewn 
from  a single  block  of  stone.  The  basement,  like  every 
other  part  of  the  building,  is  ornamented  in  varied  and 
animated  styles ; and  every  slab  of  the  vast  pile  is  cov- 
ered with  exquisite  carvings  representing  the  lotos,  the 
lily,  and  the  rose,  with  arabesques  wrought  witli  the 
chisel  with  astonishing  taste  and  skill.  The  porticos 
are  supported  by  sculptured  columns  ; and  the  terraces, 
which  form  a cross,  have  three  flights  of  steps,  at  each  of 
which  are  four  colossal  lions,  reclining  upon  pedestals. 

The  temple  is  thus  seen  to  consist  of  three  distinct 
parts,  raised  in  terraces  one  above  the  other.  The  central 
tower  of  the  five  within  the  inner  circle  forms  an  octagon, 
with  four  larger  and  four  smaller  sides.  On  each  of  the 
four  larger  faces  is  a colossal  figure  of  Buddha,  which 
overlooks  from  its  eminence  the  surrounding  country. 

This  combination  of  four  Buddhas  occurs  frequently 
among  the  ruins  of  Cambodia.  The  natives  call  it  P’hra 
Mook  Bulu  (“  Lord  of  Four  Faces  ”),  though  not  only  the 
face,  but  the  whole  body,  is  fourfold. 

A four-faced  god  of  majestic  proportions  presides 
over  the  principal  entrance  to  the  temple,  and  is  called 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  TIIE  NAGHKON  WATT. 


309 


Bhrama,  or,  by  corruption,  Phram,  signifying  divine  pro- 
tection. 

As  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the  horizon  naturally 
form  a cross,  called  “phram,”  so  we  invariably  find  the 
cross  in  the  plan  of  these  religious  monuments  of  ancient 
Cambodia,  and  even  in  the  corridors,  intersecting  each 
other  at  right  angles.*  These  corridors  are  roofed  with 
great  blocks  of  stone,  projecting  over  each  other  so  as 
to  form  an  arch,  and,  though  laid  without  cement,  so 
accurately  adjusted  as  to  leave  scarcely  a trace  of  the 
joinings.  The  galleries  of  the  temple  also  form  a rectan- 
gle. The  ceilings  are  vaulted,  and  the  roofs  supported 
by  double  rows  of  columns,  cut  from  a single  block. 

There  are  five  staircases  on  the  west  side,  five  on  the 
east,  and  three  on  each  of  the  remaining  sides.  Each  of 
the  porticos  has  three  distinct  roofs  raised  one  above  the 
other,  thus  nobly  contributing  to  the  monumental  effect 
of  the  architecture. 

In  some  of  the  compartments  the  entire  space  is  occu- 
pied with  representations  of  the  struggle  between  angels 
and  giants  for  possession  of  the  snake-god,  Sarpa-deva, 
more  commonly  called  Pliya  Naglik.  The  angels  are  seen 
dragging  the  seven-headed  monster  by  the  tail,  while  the 
giants  hold  fast  by  the  heads.  In  the  midst  is  Vishnu, 
riding  on  the  world-supporting  turtle. 

The  most  interesting  of  all  the  sculptures  at  Naghkon 
Watt  are  those  that  appear  to  represent  a procession  of 
warriors,  some  on  foot,  others  mounted  on  horses,  tigers, 
birds,  and  nondescript  creatures,  each  chief  on  an  ele- 
phant at  the  head  of  his  followers.  I counted  more  than 
a thousand  figures  in  one  compartment,  and  observed 
with  admiration  that  the  artist  had  succeeded  in  portray- 
ing the  different  races  in  all  their  physical  characteristics, 

* The  cross  is  the  distinctive  character  and  sign  for  the  Doctors  of 
Reason  in  the  primitive  Buddhism  of  Kasyapa. 


310 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


from  the  flat-nosecl  savage,  and  the  short-haired  and  broad- 
faced  Laotian,  to  the  more  classic  profile  of  the  Itajpoot, 
armed  with  sword  and  shield,  and  the  bearded  Moor.  A 
panorama  in  life-size  of  the  diverse  nationalities,  it  yet 
displays,  in  the  physical  conformation  of  each  race,  a re- 
markable predominance  of  the  Hellenic  type  — not  in  the 
features  and  profiles  alone,  but  ecpially  in  the  fine  atti- 
tudes of  the  warriors  and  horsemen. 

The  bass-reliefs  of  another  peristyle  represent  a combat 
between  the  king  of  apes  and  the  king  of  angels,  and  if 
not  the  death,  at  least  the  defeat,  of  the  former.  On  an 
adjoining  slab  is  a boat  filled  with  stalwart  rowers  with 
long  beards,  — a group  very  admirable  in  attitude  and 
expression.  In  fact,  it  is  in  these  bass-reliefs  that  the 
greatest  delicacy  of  touch  and  the  finest  finish  are  mani- 
fest. 

On  the  south  side  we  found  representations  of  an  an- 
cient military  procession.  The  natives  interpret  these  as 
three  connected  allegories,  symbolizing  heaven,  earth,  and 
hell ; but  it  is  more  probable  that  they  record  the  history 
of  the  methods  by  which  the  savage  tribes  were  reclaimed 
by  the  colonizing  foreigners,  and  that  they  have  an  inti- 
mate connection  with  the  founding  of  these  monuments. 

One  compartment  represents  an  ovation  : certain  person- 
ages are  seen  seated  on  a dais,  surrounded  by  many  women, 
with  caskets  and  fans  in  their  hands,  while  the  men  bring 
flowers  and  bear  children  in  their  arms. 

In  another  place,  those  who  have  rejected  the  new 
religion  and  its  priests  are  precipitated  into  a pit  of 
perdition,  in  the  midst  of  which  sits  the  judge,  with  his 
executioners,  with  swords  in  their  hands,  while  the  guilty 
are  dragged  before  him  by  the  hair  and  feet.  In  the 
distance  is  a furnace,  and  another  crowd  of  “ infidels  ” 
under  punishment.  But  the  converted  (the  “ born  again  ”) 
are  conducted  into  palaces,  which  are  represented  on  the 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGIIKON  WATT. 


311 


upper  compartments.  In  these  happier  figures  the  feat- 
ures as  well  as  the  attitudes  denote  profound  repose,  and 
in  the  faces  of  many  of  the  women  and  children  one  may 
trace  lines  of  beauty  and  tender  grace. 

On  the  east  side  a number  of  men,  in  groups  on  either 
hand,  are  in  the  act  of  dragging  in  contrary  directions  the 
great  seven-headed  dragon.  One  mighty  angel  watches 
the  struggle  with  interest,  while  many  lesser  angels  float 
overhead.  Below  is  a great  lake  or  ocean,  in  which  are 
fishes,  aquatic  animals,  and  sea-monsters. 

On  another  panel  an  angel  is  seated  on  a mountain 
(probably  Mount  Meru),  and  other  angels,  with  several 
heads,  assist  or  encourage  those  who  are  contending  for 
possession  of  the  serpent.  To  the  right  are  another 
triumphal  procession  and  a battle  scene,  with  warriors 
mounted  on  elephants,  unicorns,  griffins,  eagles  with  pea- 
cocks’ tails,  and  other  fabulous  creatures,  while  winged 
dragons  draw  the  chariots. 

On  the  north  side  is  another  battle-piece,  the  most  con- 
spicuous figure  being  that  of  a chief  mounted  on  the 
shoulders  of  a giant,  who  holds  in  each  hand  the  foot  of 
another  fighting  giant.  Near  the  middle  of  this  peristyle 
is  a noble  effigy  of  a royal  conqueror,  with  long  flowing 
beard,  attended  by  courtiers  with  hands  clasped  on  their 
breasts.  These  figures  are  all  in  alto  relievo,  and  well  exe- 
cuted. 

The  greater  galleries  are  connected  with  two  smaller 
ones,  which  in  turn  communicate  with  two  colonnades  in 
the  form  of  a cross ; the  roofs  of  these  are  vaulted.  Four 
rows  of  square  columns,  each  still  hewn  from  a single 
block,  extend  along  the  sides  of  the  temple.  These  are 
covered  with  statues  and  bass-reliefs,  many  of  the  former 
being  in  a state  of  dilapidation  which,  considering  the 
extreme  hardness  of  the  stone,  indicates  great  age,  while 
others  are  true  chef s-d’ oeuvre. 


312 


THE  RUINS  OF  CAMBODIA. 


The  entire  structure  forms  a square,  and  every  part  is 
admirable  both  in  general  effect  and  detail.  There  are 
twelve  superb  staircases,  the  four  in  the  middle  having 
from  fifty  to  sixty  steps,  each  step  a single  slab.  At 
each  angle  is  a tower.  The  central  tower,  larger  and 
higher  than  the  others,  communicates  with  the  lateral 
galleries  by  colonnades,  covered,  like  the  galleries  them- 
selves with  a double  roof.  Opposite  each  of  the  twelve 
staircases  is  a portico  with  windows  resembling  in  form 
and  dimensions  those  described  above. 

In  front  of  each  colonnade  connected  with  the  tower  is 
a dark,  narrow  chapel,  to  which  there  is  an  ascent  of  eight 
steps ; each  of  these  chapels  (which  do  not  communicate 
with  each  other)  contains  a gigantic  idol,  carved  in  the 
solid  wall,  and  at  its  feet  another,  of  the  same  proportions, 
sleeping. 

This  mighty  pile,  the  wondrous  Naghkon  Watt,  is 
nearly  three  miles  in  circumference ; the  walls  are  from 
seventy  to  eighty  feet  high,  and  twenty  feet  thick. 

We  wandered  in  astonishment,  and  almost  with  awe, 
through  labyrinths  of  courts,  cloisters,  and  chambers,  en- 
countering at  every  turn  some  new  marvel,  unheard  of, 
undreamed  of,  until  then.  Even  the  walls  of  the  outer 
courts  were  sculptured  with  whole  histories  of  wars  and 
conquests,  in  forms  that  seemed  to  live  and  fight  again. 
Prodigious  in  size  and  number  are  the  blocks  of  stone 
piled  in  those  walls  and  towers.  We  counted  five  thou- 
sand and  three  hundred  solid  columns.  What  a mighty 
host  of  builders  must  that  have  been  ! And  what  could 
have  been  their  engines  and  their  means  of  transport, 
seeing  that  the  mountains  from  which  the  stone  was 
quarried  are  nearly  two  days’  journey  from  the  temple  ? 

All  the  mouldings,  sculptures,  and  bass-reliefs  seem  to 
have  been  executed  after  the  walls  and  pillars  were  in 
their  places ; and  everywhere  the  stones  are  fitted  together 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  THE  NAGHKON  WATT. 


313 


in  a manner  so  perfect  that  the  joinings  are  not  easy  to 
find.  There  is  neither  mortar  nor  mark  of  the  chisel; 
the  surfaces  are  as  smooth  as  polished  marble. 

On  a fallen  column,  under  a lofty  and  most  beautiful 
arch,  we  sat,  and  rested  our  weary,  excited  eyes  on  the 
wild  but  quiet  landscape  below  ; then  slowly,  reluctantly 
departed,  feeling  that  the  world  contains  no  monument 
more  impressive,  more  inspiring,  than,  in  its  desolation, 
and  yet  wondrous  preservation,  the  temple  of  Maha 
Nagli kon  Watt. 

Next  morning  our  elephants  bore  us  back  to  Siemrap 
through  an  avenue  of  colonnades  similar  to  that  by  which 
we  had  come ; and  as  we  advanced  we  could  still  descry 
other  gates  and  pillars  far  in  the  distance,  marking  the 
line  of  some  ancient  avenue  to  this  amazing  temple. 


XXX. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGHKON.* 

MANY  hundreds  of  thousands  of  years  ago,  when 
P’hra  Atheitt,  the  Sun-god,  was  nearer  to  earth  than 
he  is  now,  and  the  city  of  the  gods  could  be  seen  with  mor- 
tal eyes,  — when  the  celestial  sovereigns,  P’hra  Indara  and 
P’hra  Insawara,  came  down  from  Meru,  the  sacred  moun- 
tain, to  hold  high  converse  with  mortal  kings,  sages,  and 
heroes,  — when  the  moon  and  the  stars  brought  tidings 
of  good-will  to  men,  and  wisdom  flourished,  love  and  hap- 
piness were  spread  abroad,  and  sorrow,  suffering,  disease, 
old  age,  and  death  were  almost  banished,  — there  lived  in 
Thaisiampois  a mighty  monarch  whose  years  could  hardly 
be  numbered,  so  many  were  they  and  so  long.  And  yet 
he  was  not  old ; such  were  the  warmth  and  strength  and 
vigor  imparted  by  the  near  glories  of  the  P’hra  Atheitt, 
that  the  span  of  human  life  was  lengthened  unto  a thou- 
sand, and  even  fifteen  hundred  years.  The  days  of  the 
King  Sudarsana  had  been  prolonged  beyond  those  of  the 
oldest  of  his  predecessors,  for  the  sake  of  his  exceeding 
wisdom  and  goodness.  But  yet  this  King  was  troubled ; 
he  had  no  son,  and  the  thought  of  dying  without  leaving 
behind  him  one  worthy  to  represent  his  name  and  race 
was  grievous  to  him.  So,  by  the  advice  of  the  wise  men 
of  his  kingdom,  he  caused  prayers  and  offerings  to  be 
made  in  all  the  temples,  and  took  to  wife  the  beautiful 
Princess  Thawadee. 

* Translated  from  a MS.  presented  to  tlie  author  hy  the  Supreme  King 
of  Siam. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGIIKON. 


315 


At  that  very  time  P’hra  Indara,  ruler  of  the  highest 
heaven,  dreamed  a dream  ; and  behold  ! in  his  sleep  a 
costly  jewel  fell  from  his  mouth  to  the  lower  earth  ; 
whereat  P’hra  Indara  was  troubled.  Assembling  all  the 
hosts  of  heaven,  the  angels,  and  the  genii,  he  showed 
them  his  dream,  but  they  could  not  interpret  it.  Last  of 
all,  he  told  it  to  his  seven  sons ; but  from  them  likewise 
its  meaning  was  hidden.  A second  time  P’hra  Indara 
dreamed,  and  yet  a third  time,  that  a more  and  more 
costly  jewel  had  fallen  from  his  lips  ; and  at  last,  when 
he  awoke,  the  interpretation  was  revealed  to  his  own 
thought,  — that  one  of  his  sons  should  condescend  to 
the  form  of  humanity,  and  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  be  a 
great  teacher  of  men. 

Then  the  King  of  Heaven  imparted  to  the  celestial 
princes  the  meaning  of  the  threefold  vision,  and  de- 
manded which  of  them  would  consent  to  become  man. 

The  divine  princes  heard,  and  answered  not  a word ; till 
the  youngest  and  best-beloved  of  Heaven  opened  his  lips 
and  spake,  saying : “ Hear,  O my  Lord  and  Father ! I have 
yearned  toward  the  race  thou  hast  created  out  of  the  fire 
and  flame  of  thy  breast  and  the  smoke  of  thy  nostrils. 
Let  me  so  unto  them,  that  I may  teach  them  the  wisdom 
of  truth.” 

Then  P’hra  Indara  gave  him  leave  to  depart  on  his  mis- 
sion of  love ; and  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  knowing  that 
he  should  never  more  gladden  their  hearts  with  his  pres- 
ence, accompanied  him,  sorrowful,  to  the  foot  of  Mount 
Meru ; and  immediately  a blazing  star  shot  from  the 
mount,  and  burst  over  the  palace  of  Thaisiampois. 

That  night  the  gracious  Princess  Thawadee  conceived 
and  became  with  child,  and  the  P’hra  Somannass  was  no 
longer  a prince  of  the  highest  heaven. 

The  Princess  Thawadee  had  been  the  only  and  darling 
daughter  of  a mighty  king,  and  still  mourned  her  separa- 


316 


TIIE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGHKON. 


t-ion  from  her  beloved  sire.  Her  only  solace  was  to  sit  in 
the  phrasat  of  the  Grand  Palace,  and  look  with  longing 
toward  her  early  home.  Here,  day  after  day,  she  sat  with 
her  maidens,  weaving  flowers,  and  singing  low  the  songs 
of  her  childhood.  When  this  became  known  abroad 
among  the  multitude,  they  gathered  from  every  side  to 
behold  one  so  famed  for  her  goodness  and  beauty. 

Tlius  by  degrees  her  interest  was  aroused.  She  became 
thoughtful  for  her  people,  and  presently  found  happiness 
in  dispensing  food,  raiment,  and  comfort  to  the  poor  who 
flocked  to  see  her. 

One  day,  as  she  was  reposing  in  the  porch  after  her 
customary  benefactions,  a cloud  of  birds,  flying  eastward, 
fell  dead  as  they  passed  over  the  phrasat.  The  sages 
and  soothsayers  of  the  court  were  terrified.  What  might 
the  omen  be  ? Long  and  anxious  were  their  counsels, 
and  grievous  their  perturbations  one  with  another ; until 
at  last  an  aged  warrior,  who  had  conquered  many  armies 
and  subjugated  kingdoms,  declaring  that  as  faithful  ser- 
vants they  should  lay  the  weighty  matter  before  their 
lord,  bade  all  the  court  follow  him,  and  approached  his 
sovereign,  saying : — 

“Long  live  P’hra  Chow  P’hra  Sudarsana,  lord  and  king 
of  our  happy  land,  wherefrom  sorrow  and  suffering  and 
death  are  wellnigh  banished  ! Let  him  investigate  with 
a true  spirit  and  a clear  mind  the  matter  we  bring  for 
judgment,  even  though  it  be  to  the  tearing  out  of  his 
own  heart  and  casting  it  away  from  him.” 

“ Speak,”  said  the  King,  “ and  fear  not ! Has  it  ever 
been  thought  that  evil  is  dearer  unto  me  than  good  ? Even 
to  the  tearing  out  of  my  heart  and  casting  it  to  dogs 
shall  justice  be  rendered  in  the  land.” 

Then  the  sages,  soothsayers,  and  warriors  spake  as  with 
one  voice : “ It  is  well  known  unto  the  lord  our  King, 
that  the  Queen,  our  lovely  lady  Thawadee,  is  with  child. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGIiKON. 


317 


Biit  what  manner  of  birth  is  this  that  she  has  conceived, 
in  that  it  has  already  brought  grief  and  death  into  the 
land  ? For  as  the  Queen  sat  in  the  porch  of  the  temple, 
a great  flight  of  birds  that  hastened,  thirsty,  toward  the 
valleys  of  the  east,  when  they  would  have  passed  over  the 
phrasat  were  struck  dead,  as  by  an  unseen  spirit  of  mis- 
chief. Let  the  King  search  this  matter,  and  put  away 
the  strange  thing  of  evil  out  of  our  land,  lest  it  make  a 
greater  sorrow.” 

When  the  King  heard  these  words,  he  was  sore  smitten, 
and  hung  down  his  head,  and  knew  not  what  to  say ; for 
the  Queen,  so  gentle  and  beautiful,  was  very  dear  to  him. 
But,  remembering  his  royal  word,  he  shook  oft'  his  grief 
and  took  counsel  with  his  astrologers,  who  had  foretold 
that  the  unborn  prince  would  prove  either  a glorious 
blessing  or  a dire  curse  to  the  land.  And  now,  by  the 
awful  omen  of  the  birds,  they  declared  that  the  Queen 
had  conceived  the  evil  spirit  Kala  Mata,  and  that  she 
must  be  put  to  death,  she  and  the  fiend  with  her. 

Then  the  King  in  council  commanded  that  the  sweet 
young  Thawadee  should  be  set  upon  a floating  raft,  and 
given  to  the  mercy  of  winds  and  waves. 

But  the  brave  chief  who  should  have  executed  the 
sentence,  overcome  on  beholding  her  beauty  and  inno- 
cence, interceded  for  her  with  the  council ; and  it  was 
finally  decreed  that,  for  pity’s  sake,  and  because  the  Queen 
was  unconscious  of  any  evil,  she  should  not  be  slain, 
but  “put  away,”  after  the  dreadful  birth.  To  this  the 
stricken  monarch  thankfully  agreed. 

In  due  time  the  Queen  was  delivered  of  a male  child, 
so  beautiful  that  it  filled  all  beholders  with  delight.  His 
eyes  were  as  sunshine,  his  forehead  like  the  glow  of  the 
full  moon,  his  lips  like  clustered  roses,  and  his  cry  like 
the  melody  of  many  instruments ; and  the  Queen  loved 
him,  and  comforted  herself  with  his  beauty. 


318 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGHKON. 


"When  the  mother  was  strong  again,  the  infant  prince 
being  then  about  a month  old,  the  sentence  of  the  council 
was  carried  into  effect,  and  the  poor  princess  and  her 
child  were  banished  forever  from  the  beloved  land  of 
Thaisiampois. 

Clasping  her  baby  to  her  breast,  she  went  forth,  terrified 
and  stunned.  On  and  on,  not  knowing  whither,  she  wan- 
dered, pressing  her  sleeping  babe  to  her  bosom,  and  moan- 
ing to  the  great  gods  above. 

Then  P’hra  Indara,  king  of  highest  heaven,  came  down 
to  earth,  assumed  the  form  and  garb  of  a Bhramin,  and  fol- 
lowed her  silentty,  shortening  the  miles  and  smoothing 
the  rough  places,  until  she  reached  the  bank  of  a deep 
and  rapid  stream.  Here,  as  she  sat  down,  faint  and  foot- 
sore, to  nurse  her  babe,  there  came  to  her  a grave  and 
venerable  pilgrim,  who  gently  questioned  her  sorrows  and 
comforted  her  with  thrilling  words,  saying  her  child  was 
born  to  bring  peace  and  happiness  to  earth,  and  not  trouble 
and  death. 

Quickly  Thawadee  dried  her  tears,  and  consented  to 
be  led  by  the  good  old  man,  who  had  come  to  her  as  if 
from  heaven.  From  under  his  garment  he  produced  a 
shell  filled  with  food  from  paradise,  of  which  she  partook 
with  ecstasy  ; and  gave  her  to  drink  water  from  everlast- 
ing springs,  that  overflowed  her  soul  with  perfect  peace. 
Then  he  led  her  to  a mountain,  and  prepared  in  the  cleft 
of  a rock  a hiding-place  for  her  and  her  child,  and  left 
her  with  a promise  of  quick  return. 

For  fifty  years  she  dwelt  in  the  cave,  knowing  neither 
trouble  nor  weariness  nor  hunger,  nor  any  of  the  ills  of 
life.  The  young  Somannass,  as  the  good  Bhramin  had 
named  him,  grew  to  be  a youth  of  wondrous  beauty.  The 
melody  of  his  voice  tamed  the  wild  creatures  of  the  forest, 
and  charmed  even  the  seven-headed  dragons  of  the  lake 
in  which  his  mother  bathed  him  every  morning.  Then 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAHA  NAGIIKON.  319 

again  P’hra  Indara  appeared  to  them  in  the  form  and 
garb  of  the  aged  Bhramin  ; and  he  rejoiced  in  the  strength 
and  beauty  of  the  young  Somannass,  and  his  heart  yearned 
after  liis  beloved  son.  But,  hiding  his  emotion,  he  held 
pleasant  converse  with  the  Queen,  and  begged  to  be  per- 
mitted to  take  the  boy  away  with  him  for  a season. 
She  consented ; and  instantly,  as  in  a flash  of  lightning, 
he  transported  the  prince  into  the  highest  heaven,  and 
Somannass  found  himself  seated  on  a glorious  throne  by 
the  side  of  P’hra  Indara  the  Divine,  before  whom  the 
hosts  of  heaven  bowed  in  homage. 

Here  he  was  initiated  in  all  the  mysteries  of  life  and 
death,  with  all  wisdom  and  foresight.  His  celestial  royal 
father  showed  him  the  stars  coursing  hither  and  thither 
on  their  errands  of  love  and  mercy ; showed  him  comets 
with  tails  of  fire  flashing  and  whizzing  through  the  cen- 
turies, spreading  confusion  and  havoc  in  their  path ; 
showed  him  the  spirits  of  rebellion  and  crime  transfixed 
by  the  spears  of  the  Omnipotent.  He  heard  the  music  of 
the  spheres,  he  tasted  heavenly  food,  and  drank  of  the 
river  that  flows  from  the  footstool  of  the  Most  Highest. 

And  so  he  forgot  the  forlorn  Queen,  his  mother,  and 
desired  to  return  to  earth  no  more. 

Then  P’hra  Indara  laid  his  hand  upon  the  brow  of  the 
lad,  and  showed  him  the  generations  yet  to  come,  rejoic- 
ing in  his  prayers  and  precepts ; and  Somannass,  behold- 
ing, stretched  his  arms  to  the  earth  again.  And  P’hra 
Indara  promised  to  build  him  a palace  hardly  less  grand 
and  fair  than  the  heavenly  abode,  a temple  which  should 
be  the  wonder  of  the  world,  a stupendous  and  everlasting 
monument  of  his  love  to  men. 

So  Somannass  returned  to  the  Queen,  his  mother ; and 
P’hra  Indara  sent  down  myriads  of  angels,  with  Phya 
Kralewana,  chief  of  angels,  to  build  a dwelling  fit  for  the 
heavenly  prince.  In  one  night  it  was  done,  and  the 


320 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAIIA  NAGHKON. 


rising  sun  shone  on  domes  like  worlds  and  walls  like 
armies.  And  because  the  seven-headed  serpent,  Phya 
Naghk,  had  shown  the  way  to  the  mines  of  gold  and 
silver  and  iron,  and  the  quarries  of  marble  and  granite, 
the  grateful  builders  laid  the  sign  of  the  serpent  on  the 
foundations,  terraces,  and  bridges  ; but  on  the  walls  they 
left  the  effigy  of  the  Queen  Tliawadee,  the  beautiful  and 
bountiful  lady. 

Then  swift- winged  angels  flew  to  heaven,  and,  returning, 
brought  fruits  and  flowers  the  most  curious  and  exquisite  ; 
and  immediately  there  bloomed  a garden  there,  of  such 
ravishing  loveliness  and  perfume  that  the  gods  themselves 
delighted  to  visit  it.  Also  they  filled  the  great  stables 
with  white  elephants  and  chargers.  And  then  the  an- 
gels transported  Tliawadee  and  Somannass  to  their  new 
abode,  the  fame  of  which  was  so  spread  abroad  that  the 
great  King  Sudarsana,  with  all  his  court,  and  followers 
without  number,  and  all  his  army,  came  to  see  it.  And 
great  was  their  astonishment  to  find  again  the  fair  and 
gentle  Tliawadee,  who  thus  was  reunited  to  her  husband  ; 
and  he  took  up  his  abode  with  her,  and  they  lived  together 
in  love. 

But  the  Prince  Somannass  built  temples,  and  preached, 
and  taught  the  people,  and  healed  their  infirmities,  and 
led  them  in  the  paths  of  virtue  and  truth. 

And  the  fame  of  his  wisdom  and  goodness  flew  through 
all  the  lands,  so  that  many  kings  became  willing  vassals 
unto  him ; but  there  came  from  a far-off  country,  where 
the  heavens  drop  no  rain,  but  where  one  great  river  sud- 
denly floods  the  plains  and  then  shrinks  back  into  itself 
like  a living  thing,  a king  of  lofty  stature  and  exceeding 
craft.  And  the  Prince  Somannass  was  gracious  toward 
him,  and  showed  him  many  favors.  But  his  heart  was 
black  and  bad,  and  he  would  have  turned  the  pure  heart 
of  the  prince  to  worship  the  dragon  and  other  beasts; 


T1IE  LEGEND  OF  THE  MAH  A NAGHKON. 


321 


wherefore  Somannass  changed  him  into  a leper,  and  cast 
him  out  of  his  palace,  and  caused  a stone  statue  to  be 
made  of  him,  which  stands  to  this  day,  a warning  to  all 
tempters  and  evil-doers.  And  he  caused  the  face  of  the 
great  P’hra  Indara  to  be  carved  on  the  north  and  on  the 
south  and  on  the  east  and  on  the  west  — so  that  all 
men  might  know  the  true  God,  who  is  God  alone  in 
heaven,  Sevarg-Savan ! 


